My Single Neighbor Can't Be This Cute
by Solora Goldsun
Summary: When Jaune Arc is forced to move out and live in a tiny apartment after high school, he thinks his future couldn't be any bleaker. When Pyrrha Nikos, dodging the media, moves into a deluxe apartment to raise her new daughter away from judgemental eyes, she doesn't know what to expect. Could they possibly be the answer to each other's prayers? (Commission for D. KnightOfShadows.)
1. Chapter 1

**Hello, my lovelies! This little beauty is a commission for D. KnightOfShadows, who wanted a four-chapter Arkos fic featuring a famous, single mother Pyrrha meeting a recently-graduated, trying-to-get-by Jaune when she moves into the same apartment building as him. Fluff will ensue, obviously.**

 **Enjoy!**

Disappointment was a common theme in Jaune Arc's life; disappointment, a lack of money, and never being the most important person in anyone's life. That was made perfectly clear when he was more or less forced to move out of his parents' house at the age of eighteen, making way for his younger sisters, who apparently needed the space and love more than he did.

He wasn't bitter toward his sisters, of course. It wasn't their fault. Little Silvia had actually cried when he left. He felt especially sorry for sixteen-year-old Sapphire, who would likely assume the mantel he had held as the oldest sibling still living at home. That meant acting as a third parent to their younger sisters.

Now, he was living in an apartment that was being partially paid for by his eldest sister, scraping by from paycheck to paycheck in a thankless job. College was a distant fantasy. His dreams of becoming a professional dancer faded into the monotony of slicing deli meats for customers who just weren't satisfied with the thickness of the cut, no matter how many times a poor, beleaguered worker adjusted it.

Five days a week, he came home smelling like processed cheese and lunchmeat. After showering, he would put on DVDs teaching advanced dance steps. His furniture was frequently piled on one side of the living space just for this purpose. For an hour each night, he would lose himself in the steps, imagining that he was on a stage somewhere, imagining that he had a full bank account, a full stomach, and maybe even a nice girlfriend to be happy about.

On weekends, he went to the gym, determined to keep himself fit just in case an opportunity arose to pursue his dream. He would walk home, staring wistfully at Vale's famous dance studio as he contemplated the many, many, many ways to prepare potatoes and ramen.

It was at the gym where he first heard about the new person who moved to the area. He learned it from Cardin, of all people.

"Heard she's a total bombshell with long red hair and curves I could definitely get a grip on," the arrogant meathead was saying as he walked by Jaune to put away a set of weights. "Gonna see if I can get me some of that action, if you know what I mean."

"Why are you even over here?" Jaune grumbled.

"What? I'm just talking about babes with my old high school buddy." Cardin pulled Jaune into what likely would have been a painful noogie if it wasn't for a timely interruption.

"Do I need to break his legs again, Jaune?" Nora's voice called over from one of the treadmills.

Cardin's face immediately paled and he hurried away.

When Jaune returned home that afternoon, he saw moving boxes being loaded into the empty-until-recently deluxe apartment across the hallway. He definitely envied whoever could afford to rent that place!

He was just taking his keys from his pocket when a sudden voice behind him caused him to jump and drop them.

"Hello- Oh, I'm sorry!"

Jaune quickly picked up the keys and turned around to see a tall woman with red hair, green eyes, and a very kind smile. Strapped to her front was a red-haired baby who was staring at Jaune with wide hazel eyes. "No problem. Are you guys moving in?" He grinned at the baby, who blinked before letting out an adorable laugh.

The woman's smile widened a bit at this exchange. "Yes. I'm Pyrrha Nikos, and this is Athena."

"Athena, huh?" Jaune bowed his head slightly at the baby. "Didn't realize I was in the presence of a goddess. I'm Jaune Arc." He held out his hand for Pyrrha to shake, feeling slightly surprised at how strong her grip was.

"A pleasure to meet you," Pyrrha said, and she meant it. She was a good judge of character and was able to quickly pick up that her new neighbor's friendliness was genuine, and not a mask he was putting on just to be polite (as was often the case with people she met). He also obviously didn't know who she was, which was a huge relief. She noticed his sweaty exercise clothes and asked: "Did you just come from the gym down the street?"

"Sure did," Jaune replied. "I gotta keep this body in shape if I want to be a pro dancer!"

Pyrrha's brows went up. "Dancing? That sounds grand." She almost let slip that she knew a few hip hop dancers, but managed to stop herself in time. _You specifically came here because you don't want people to guess who you are,_ she sternly reminded herself. "Is this gym any good? I want to get an idea before I purchase a membership."

"Oh, yeah!" Jaune said. "They have a lot of good equipment, and the rate's pretty reasonable. There are also yoga classes every week."

"Perfect. I used to go to gyms regularly, but…" She gently rocked Athena, who made a happy burbling noise. "I hope to start again soon, if I can find a good daycare."

Out of pure habit from his time at home, Jaune almost said that he'd take care of Athena, but immediately shut himself up. _This isn't your sister. This is a stranger's kid. You literally just met her! There's no way she'd trust you with her baby._ Besides, did he _want_ to be taking care of another kid so soon after leaving home?

Instead, he brought up something else he had just remembered. "Um, you should know that there are a few creeps at that gym. I've met them." He was remembering his conversation with Cardin. This Pyrrha woman was likely the "bombshell" that jerk had been referencing.

Pyrrha rolled her eyes, letting out a sigh. "Oh, I'm sure there are. It comes with the territory. Don't worry. I can defend myself."

At that moment, Athena's burbles started to sound more insistent, bordering on tiny cries. Pyrrha gently hushed her. "I'm sorry. I'd better see what she wants."

"Of course," Jaune said, smiling at the now-frowning baby. He knew that look. It was the face of a baby that was just starting to get tired and would start crying at higher pitches and frequencies if not put down for a nap soon. "Nice meeting you both."

"Likewise!" Pyrrha took Athena into the apartment where, thankfully, she had had the foresight earlier to unpack and set up the crib. With a grateful nod to the movers, she set about tucking her daughter in. Maybe, the baby would nap long enough for Pyrrha to actually get some of her possessions organized.

….

During the days that followed, Pyrrha hurried to unpack while trying to keep on top of everything she needed to do for Athena. The apartment was fully-furnished, so she only needed to worry about putting away the items she had brought with her. Most of the boxes held baby supplies, though there were plenty of clothes, makeup, and other items that would hopefully come in handy once she got back in shape.

 _The money I have won't last forever,_ she reasoned. _Eventually, I'll need to start modeling again._

Pyrrha had always thought that her name and face were incredibly well-known, ever since her parents got her into the modeling business at the age of sixteen. The many companies she endorsed certainly seemed to think so. Yet, so far, no one in the area seemed to recognize her. That suited her just fine.

She paused in the act of putting away some books, glanced at Athena, who was currently sucking on the ear of her favorite teddy bear in her playpen, and took out her phone. There were a few texts from Pyrrha's agent, asking how the move-in process was going, and a few companies offering to sponsor her. She forwarded those to her agent. There was nothing from her parents.

A distinct crushing feeling appeared in her chest, which she tried to ignore. _They made their choice,_ she thought firmly, closing her phone and looking once more at Athena. _I've made mine._

That choice continued to weigh on her as she went through day after day of doing nothing but unpacking and taking care of her daughter. She knew she was fortunate to have enough money to be able to stay with her child all day rather than leaving her at a daycare before going to work for eight hours. Still, she could feel herself falling into the slump she had been in at her parents' house. The only difference was that her schedule now didn't include avoiding her mother's ashamed glares or ignoring her father grumbling about how he couldn't believe that his daughter was being so selfish and foolish.

Her brain was always set a few hours ahead as she planned out when she would feed Athena, what she would do to try and get Athena to start moving around more, ways to stimulate Athena and get her to start talking, because the internet said that would be coming soon…

She was so focused one evening while she was taking Athena for a walk in her stroller, that she didn't notice Jaune until he was right by her.

"Hey," Jaune greeted. He had just walked into the parking lot toward the back entrance to the building, tired from another annoying day at the deli.

"Oh!" Pyrrha jumped, then relaxed. "Oh, hello. I'm sorry. I was a bit preoccupied."

"No problem." Jaune smiled down at Athena. "Hey, kiddo."

Athena blinked up at him, looking incredibly bored.

"I was just taking her to the park," Pyrrha explained. "I heard that there's one nearby."

"Yeah, but the way isn't too obvious if you're going from here," Jaune noted. "The sidewalk leads to a small crosswalk that goes toward the nearest trail. That crosswalk hasn't been re-painted in ages, so it's easy to miss." He considered for a moment. "Actually, why don't I just show you where to go?"

"I couldn't do that," Pyrrha protested. "You obviously just got home from work. I'm sure you want to relax."

"For me, relaxing means not standing in one place, and getting the smell of bologna out of my nose," Jaune assured her. "It's cool if you just want me to tell you where to go, though," he hurried to add.

"Honestly, I wouldn't mind the company," Pyrrha admitted. "I love my daughter, but she's not much of a conversational companion yet. I just didn't want to take time out of your evening if you were tired."

"In that case, right this way," Jaune gestured toward the sidewalk.

The two walked in silence for a few minutes, punctuated with Athena squirming around in her stroller. She started whining irritably. Pyrrha paused to give her one of her smaller stuffed animals, which thankfully did the trick.

Jaune smiled nostalgically as he looked at Athena. "You know, my little sister Silvia was really into stuffed animals. She had this blanket/stuffed animal hybrid that looked like a giraffe. Went crazy if that thing went out of her sight for a second."

Pyrrha nodded. "Athena is the same way. She won't go to sleep without her bear."

"Gotta love the classic teddy bear. I had a bunny, myself." Jaune's cheeks flushed as he grinned jokingly. "Wait, we just met a few days ago. I don't' know if I should be telling you this."

Pyrrha chuckled. "If it helps, I had a unicorn."

"Ooh, fancy!"

"Yes, she even had sparkly fur. She whinnied when you squeezed her hoof." Pyrrha smiled. "Maybe _I_ shouldn't be telling _you_ this."

The two laughed as they continued on their way. The evening was peaceful and pleasant. Summer was ending, and the hot temperatures of July were gone, but the chill of fall still had yet to creep its way around the corner. Jaune took a deep breath, loving the smell of any air that wasn't saturated with supermarket air conditioning, meat fridges, and sanitizer.

"So, you mentioned when we first met that you were a dancer," Pyrrha commented. "What kind of dancing have you studied?"

"Well, I learned a bit of ballroom dancing as a kid," Jaune said. "Back when we could afford stuff like that. My best friend and I were in an after-school dance club. We mostly did pop and hip hop. It's funny. He's definitely better than me, but he doesn't want to go pro."

"Sometimes, it's nice to have something that's just a hobby." Pyrrha always enjoyed baking in her spare time, what little spare time she possessed, anyway.

"True. I know I want dancing to be more than a hobby. If I can't become a famous dancer on stage, I'd at least like to be an instructor." Jaune led Pyrrha down the most familiar of the trails. "So, what about you? Anyone helping you with Athena?" He knew that asking, even casually, if there was a Mister Nikos would be presumptuous and, depending on how nervous Pyrrha was, too creepy.

"Sadly, no," Pyrrha sighed. "I didn't know her father very well, and he was very quick to sign over full custody." She honestly couldn't blame him. The media circus that would have surrounded the poor man would have been legendary. It had been hard enough for Pyrrha to escape notice for this long.

"And my parents…didn't approve of me keeping her." Once again, Pyrrha pushed down painful memories that threatened to rear their ugly heads, memories of those awful months at home as she prepared to take her leave.

"That's terrible!" Jaune thought of his own parents. While he was still bitter about being essentially kicked out, he knew that his parents were trying their best, and that they would support him in whatever way they could if he somehow ended up with an unexpected child.

"Well, raising a kid is hard, even with help," Jaune pointed out. "You're doing pretty well, all things considered."

Something about Jaune's tone told Pyrrha that he was speaking from personal experience. "Are you a father?" she asked.

"Me? No way," Jaune laughed. "I just turned eighteen a little while ago, and my parents made sure I'd be too scared to do anything risky in high school. I'm from a big family and had to help raise my six younger sisters."

"Oh!" Pyrrha smiled. "Perhaps you could give me some advice."

"Ask the Jaune Encyclopedia, and you shall receive an answer," Jaune said with an exaggerated bow.

Pyrrha laughed before looking at Athena, who had just started to doze. "Athena is starting to move about on her own. She'll be crawling soon. I'd like to allow her to move around more, but I know what can happen if a baby is out of her pen and I turn away for even a second."

"Ah! Baby-proofing." Jaune nodded sagely. "Everyone's favorite way to redecorate. Tip number one: Get actual plastic covers for electrical outlets. Electric tape won't cut it."

Pyrrha's heart sank. She had actually bought electric tape for that very reason. "Anything else?"

"Get something soft to wrap up the lower parts of table legs," Jaune explained. "Mom actually knitted special covers after having me. Want me to ask her for them?"

"If she doesn't mind lending them, that would be incredibly helpful," Pyrrha admitted. "There are just so many things to take into account. Internet and book research can only do so much."

"I could give you apartment a look-over and write down what you'll want to do," Jaune offered. "I mean, if you want. I don't want to butt in, but I do have experience with this stuff."

"That would be grand," Pyrrha said empathetically. "I'll accept whatever help is offered."

"Omigosh!" a voice suddenly shouted from nearby. "I knew it! You're Pyrrha Nikos, aren't you?"

"It totally is! I can't believe it!" squealed another voice.

Pyrrha winced, using all of her self-control to keep from grimacing. Taking a deep breath, she turned to meet the two approaching teen girls with a friendly smile. "Hello."

The two teen girls nearly swooned when they saw her. "Wow," the blonde-haired one gasped. "I can't believe you're really here. I read that you were going to be leaving the spotlight after having your kid, but I didn't think it'd be _here!_ "

"This is a nice town," Pyrrha replied. "Though, I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell too many people that I'm here. I'd like to focus on raising my daughter."

The brunette cooed with adoration as she looked at Athena. "Oh! She's so cute! Can I hold her?"

"I'd rather you didn't," Pyrrha said nervously, edging closer to the stroller in case the teen tried to pick Athena up anyway.

"Can we take a picture with you?" the blonde asked. "Please?"

Pyrrha froze up. She was used to taking pictures with her fans, even when she wasn't actually feeling up to it. But she knew that these kids would post the picture online almost immediately, and she really didn't want to deal with the press so soon…

"No pictures, and can you lower your voices?" Jaune cut in. "We don't want to wake her up." He wasn't sure what exactly was going on, but he wasn't about to let a baby's picture end up online for the world to see. Besides, Pyrrha clearly wanted these two to go away.

The teens turned their attention on him. "Are _you_ the dad?" the blonde asked, doubt and incredulity dripping from her tongue.

 _No need to sound so skeptical. I'm not that bad-looking!_ "No, I'm her lawyer," he said, thinking quickly. "Any other questions?"

Thankfully, the word "lawyer" was enough to send the girls away, though they were grumbling to each other under their breaths.

Pyrrha let out a breath of relief once they were gone. "Thank you so much!" she gasped. "I never know how to turn people away, but I knew I needed to do something because of Athena, but-"

"Hey, it's no problem!" Jaune cut in. "You have a right to your privacy, you and Athena."

"My life has never been very private," Pyrrha admitted, a little begrudgingly. "I suppose you have questions."

Jaune shrugged. "Not really. It seems simple enough: You're someone a lot of people know and you went underground for a bit so your daughter wouldn't get caught up in the media hype. At least now I know how you were able to afford the deluxe room! Are you on TV, or something?"

"Sometimes," Pyrrha said. "I'm a model." She glanced sadly down the path. "And it looks like I lost myself two fans."

"Nah. I know how teens are. They'll just blame it on the grumpy lawyer you were with," Jaune assured her. "They'll be all 'Oh, Pyrrha Nikos is so amazing! How did such a great person end up with a scrawny jerk like that as her lawyer? Not even letting her be in a photo. Ugh! Like, this is so totally unfair!'" He tossed his hair for good measure.

Pyrrha giggled at Jaune's spot-on impression of the obnoxious girls. "Thank you again. And I'm sorry for not telling you who I was."

Jaune shook his head. "You shouldn't have to tell anyone if you don't want to. It's not like I'm required to tell everyone I meet that I work at a deli counter. Though, once they smell the chipped ham on my shirt, they can probably guess…" He breathed a sigh. "I really hate that job."

"Have you applied for other jobs?" Pyrrha asked.

"I've sent some stuff out, but most of the jobs posted that I qualify for don't pay any more than I'm making now," Jaune explained. "A lot of the higher-paying ones require a college degree, but I can't even go to community college right now since I need to work full-time to pay for my apartment." He shook his head. "Right now, the biggest dream I can aim for is reaching a point when I can afford weekly dance lessons."

Pyrrha felt a pang of sympathy for this young man. It was easy to forget sometimes that there were people who had to worry about money in a way she never had, and who had futures that were so much more limited. She wished she could just give him some money to help him out, because she definitely had enough, but knew that such an offer would likely embarrass him.

"Perhaps, I could recommend you somewhere," Pyrrha suggested. "I'm sponsored by several big-name clothing brands, and there is a mall nearby. Even if you worked as a sales clerk, it would probably be better than slicing lunch meat for minimum wage."

Jaune's eyes lit up. "Really? Are you sure that wouldn't be too much trouble?"

"No more trouble than you helping me baby-proof my apartment," Pyrrha replied with a smile.

"When you put it that way…" Jaune held out his hand. "It's a deal!"

Pyrrha shook his hand gladly, just as Athena started to stir. She checked her phone. "Oh, we should probably go back. It's getting close to her dinner time, and I've been trying to keep her on a schedule."

"Starting her on solid foods, right?" Jaune asked. "That's always an interesting time."

"It certainly is!"

The two talked the rest of the way home and both found themselves wanting to talk more when they arrived at the building. Still, there were things to take care of, so they said their farewells and went into their respective apartments for the evening.

….

It didn't take long at all for Jaune and Pyrrha to truly become friends.

Soon after their conversation in the park, Jaune came to Pyrrha's apartment bearing an armful of table and chair leg-covers and a notebook. He quickly went through the apartment, tallying how many outlet covers and cupboard locks Pyrrha would need.

"You already have the detergent on the high shelves. That's good," he noted.

"Well, that's just common sense, isn't it?" Pyrrha asked.

"You would think, but the amount of kids who drink toxic stuff every year kinda makes me wonder," Jaune sighed. "You know, I saw a thing on the news a little while ago. You know how some parents leave their kids in hot cars?"

"Yes. Some people really shouldn't be parents."

"Yeah, including the people at the news station! They recommended putting something 'important' in the back seat, like a phone or wallet, so you don't forget your kid there."

"What's more important than your child?" Pyrrha gasped, her mind spinning at the idea of someone actually saying something like that. She knew that she'd never forget Athena anywhere, car or otherwise. She glanced over at her beloved daughter, who was sucking on a brightly-colored stim toy in her playpen. Her heart warmed at the sight.

"Exactly." Jaune handed her the notebook. "Okay, here's everything I noticed."

The two ended up sitting down for several hours, talking long after the baby-proofing plans had been made. They exchanged phone numbers and found themselves texting regularly.

Over the next week, Pyrrha contacted people at the various nearby clothing stores, and was happy to forward several interview and resume requests to Jaune. When, at her prompting, Jaune showed her his interview outfit, which included a rather tattered khaki jacket, Pyrrha quickly pulled some strings to get a discount on a new blazer and tie.

"Thanks, Pyrrha," Jaune said, staring at the blazer and wondering with some trepidation how much it has cost his neighbor. _She doesn't need to be spending money on me! She's got a kid to worry about!_

"It didn't cost me anything," Pyrrha lied, noticing the nervous look on Jaune's face. "I have sponsors, remember? Consider it payback for those table leg-covers, if you wish."

Those leg-covers ended up being a huge help, as Athena very quickly developed a liking for grabbing at table legs and trying to pull herself upright. She was nowhere close to succeeding, of course. When she was, Pyrrha would have something else to both worry and be joyful about.

The blazer ended up fitting perfectly, leaving Jaune much more confident about his interviews. Between work and submitting resumes, he found himself over at Pyrrha's apartment more often than not. He learned that his neighbor hadn't been allowed to play video games growing up and was quick to bring over his consoles, along with his copies of _Smash Bros._ and _Mario Kart_. Between levels, he'd watch Pyrrha take care of Athena and found himself helping out due to pure instinct.

"Old habits die hard, I guess," he murmured as he shook a rattle in front of Athena, who tried grabbing at it, her hazel eyes wide and shining.

"Is she anything like how your sisters were?" Pyrrha wondered as she opened a can of oatmeal/banana baby food for Athena's meal.

"She's way quieter," Jaune said, grinning at the mesmerized baby. "I wish Silvia had been this well-behaved."

"Do you think…you could look after her sometimes?" Pyrrha asked. She had been wanting to ask this for some time, but had made herself wait until she knew Jaune a little better. "I want to start going to the gym regularly, and it would be much simpler giving you a spare key than taking her to a daycare. I will pay you, of course."

"You don't have to pay me. I don't mind helping out. We're friends, right?" Jaune smiled as Athena reached past the rattle to grab his finger.

"I insist," Pyrrha said, her voice very firm. "It's one thing for us to do favors for each other as friends, but babysitting for an extended period of time is a service that should be paid for."

"I guess so." Jaune wasn't about to argue with a woman sounding that stern, though he might have tried if Pyrrha had been anything other than a rich model who could easily afford to pay him.

Despite being the one to offer, Pyrrha was more than a little nervous when she left her apartment to go to the gym a few days later. It wasn't that she thought Jaune wouldn't do a good job of taking care of Athena. She was more worried about the fact that she had hardly left Athena with anyone since she was born. _I hope she doesn't miss me too much…_

As she went into the gym, she marveled at the feeling of being somewhere and not having her daughter within arm's reach, not having to worry about having to soothe an oncoming tantrum or stop everything to feed a hungry baby. It was a liberating and guilty feeling.

After paying at the counter, Pyrrha approached the exercise machines, put her earbuds in, and tried to focus on the process of getting rid of the extra weight she had gained. It wasn't so much that she was self-conscious, but she knew that she'd have to be in shape for when she inevitably started modeling again.

Due to her earbuds, she didn't notice the stranger getting into her personal space until he was already tapping her shoulder.

Fighting against her instinctive response to elbow whoever was behind her, Pyrrha turned off her music, got off the pacer, and turned around. Immediately, she disliked the man standing before her. He had short brown hair, eyes that shined with a mocking light, and a smile that belonged on the face of the most entitled college frat boy.

"I'm sorry," she said calmly, flashing a neutral smile. "Were you waiting to use the machine?" It wasn't a real question, as there were plenty of other machines nearby.

"Nah, I was more interested in the person using it," the man replied with a cocky smirk. "Name's Cardin. You new in town?"

"I am," Pyrrha replied, pointedly not giving her name.

"You know, there are some sketchy parts in this area," Cardin said in what he surely thought was a smooth transition. "Maybe we could get a drink sometime, and I can give you a little guided tour afterward."

"No, thank you," Pyrrha said politely. "I have a pretty good feel for the area already. I appreciate the concern."

"Well, what about just a drink?"

"No, thank you," Pyrrha repeated.

Cardin's grin quickly turned to a scowl. "What, you already got a boyfriend?"

"No," Pyrrha replied, though it probably would have been simpler to say yes. She just didn't believe in the idea that a woman had to use a fake boyfriend/girlfriend excuse for her wishes to be respected. "I'm flattered by the offer, but I'd rather not."

Cardin folded his arms. "You're real quick to turn me down. You don't even know me!"

Before Pyrrha could reply, someone cleared her throat behind Cardin before whispering loudly: "Snappy, snappy!"

Cardin's eyes widened as he spun around to face the source of the voice. To Pyrrha's surprise, the speaker was a small woman less than half Cardin's size. However, size meant nothing in the face of the woman's glare, which could likely stop a charging bull cold.

"I-I'll see you later," Cardin stammered, trying to keep his back straight as he walked away.

The short woman rolled her eyes before turning to Pyrrha with a bright, friendly smile that completely transformed her face. "Some guys, right? Can't take no for an answer."

"I know the type," Pyrrha said, gladly returning the smile. "Thank you for your help. I'm Pyrrha."

"Nora!" The woman held out her hand. "Pyrrha, huh? You must be Jaune's new neighbor."

"Oh, you're Nora! Jaune mentioned you." Pyrrha gladly shook her hand. "May I ask why that man was so afraid of you?"

"I broke his legs in high school," Nora said in the same voice someone might say "I went to the store for some bread."

"You what?!" Pyrrha gaped. "Both of them?"

"Yeah. He kept pushing Jaune into lockers, and I got sick of it." Nora folded her arms. "If Jaune wasn't gonna stand up for himself, I decided it was my job! Totally worth the one-month suspension, by the way."

"He bullied Jaune?" Pyrrha's dislike for the brawny, entitled man immediately deepened.

"All the time," Nora grumbled. "Still tries to, but I'm always around to remind him of how I can 'accidentally' mangle his kneecaps." She winked quickly. "So, just call me if he gives you trouble again, okay?"

"Okay." The two ended up exercising together. "I can fight, but I don't wish to draw attention to myself," Pyrrha explained.

"Understandable. Since you're famous, everyone would jump on something like that." Nora slowly lifted a set of weights. "Jaune didn't tell me that, by the way. I just recognized your name. Congrats on the kid. Jaune says she's a total cutie."

"She really is." Pyrrha wondered what Athena was doing just then. Was she giving Jaune a hard time, or just napping peacefully?

Talking to Nora was the easiest thing in the world, as she seemed fully capable of carrying a conversation entirely by herself. Pyrrha listened with a smile as her new friend babbled on about work, her attempts to sign up for community college courses, her boyfriend's amazing animation and cooking skills, and a slew of other topics that made Pyrrha wish she was better friends with this energetic girl so she could experience just a bit of her life.

The two eventually parted ways and Pyrrha walked home. When she arrived at the apartment, she paused outside the door, realizing that she could hear Jaune's voice from inside.

"See, this is why werewolves are better. Check this out!" The sound of swords clashing and a beastly snarl came from inside. "Yeah! You won't see vampires eating hearts like that!"

Pyrrha opened the door to see Jaune sitting on the carpet, a game controller in his hand as he played _Skyrim_. Athena's play pen had been moved so that it was in front of the TV, and the baby within was staring intently at the computer-generated werewolf on the screen, sucking absentmindedly on her teddy bear's ear.

Jaune looked up. "Oh, hey! I just changed her a few minutes ago, and she ate all her food. Figured I'd educate her until you got back."

Pyrrha chuckled. "I can see that." She approached the play pen and picked up Athena, who burbled happily.

"Ma!" the baby said. "Ma…ma!"

Jaune's entire face lit up at the sound. "Well, look at that!"

Pyrrha's heart warmed as she felt her eyes filling with happy tears. She hugged her daughter close. In that moment, she had a very, very good feeling about her and Athena's future.

She had a good home, a nice town, and had already made two wonderful friends. The sky was the limit!

Jaune's bright, thrilled smile only seemed to reinforce that thought.

 **So, I know inspiration for this fic is going to be high because I finally started playing** _ **Dream Daddy**_ **for the first time. Guys, if you haven't played** _ **Dream Daddy**_ **, DO IT! The wholesome father/daughter interactions…the beauty that is Damien…the Dad Jokes… It's a freaking holy grail!**

 **Anyway, this is obviously going to be a piece of fluffy goodness. Stay tuned for next chapter, when the mutual pining begins. You all love that, don't you?**

 **If you like what you see and want to show extra support while earning sweet rewards, my P/atreon is Solora Goldsun.**

 **Peace out!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello, my lovelies! We're back with chapter two of this beauty. As per the request, this chapter will show our precious Arkos dorks starting to fall for each other. Thanks again for this commission, D. KnightOfShadows!**

 **Enjoy!**

Things were going a lot better for Jaune. He had managed to snag a decent-paying job at a somewhat high-end clothing store, with Pyrrha's help. He was saving up his money, and likely would be able to start weekly or at least biweekly dance lessons within the next month. For the first time, he was starting to actually feel like a capable adult. His schedule soon fell into a manageable table of working, dancing for an hour each day, hanging out with his friends, and babysitting for little Athena.

Athena was certainly growing fast. She was starting to master the art of crawling and even standing for short periods of time. She was also very talkative, babbling on in a language that only she and her teddy bear could understand. Her only coherent word was "Mama," which she always said whenever Pyrrha came home from a workout, melting Jaune's heart in the process.

"You'll be speaking fluently soon enough," Pyrrha cooed one day as she picked her daughter up, smiling as those grabby hands reached for her hair. This was one key reason why she had stopped wearing earrings altogether.

"I guess we'll have to watch our language from now on," Jaune joked, even though he barely swore anyway. "Or, we'll get a repeat of the Car Incident with my sister Jenny."

Pyrrha raised an eyebrow. "Now, you absolutely have to tell me what that is."

Jaune snickered. "Just imagine: The family's driving along, minding our own business, when three-year-old Jenny suddenly pipes up: 'Hey, Mom? What's a fucking yuppy?'"

Pyrrha burst out laughing. "She didn't!"

"Oh, she did. Mom nearly slammed on the brakes, she was so shocked!" Jaune joined her laughter. "Boy was Dad in trouble for that one!"

"Are you sure it was your father?"

"Definitely," Jaune affirmed. "He's always going on about the 'fucking yuppies' he has to deal with at work."

"I suppose he wouldn't be happy about you being friends with me," Pyrrha noted a little sadly.

"Nah, you're not a yuppy," Jaune assured her. "Yuppies are jerks who wave their money around and treat people in customer service like dirt." He squinted his eyes and affected his snootiest fake voice. "Do you even _know_ who I am?" He sniffed loudly

Pyrrha giggled. "I've run across plenty of those in the modeling industry. Design one successful line, and you're suddenly too important to pour your own coffee! Not just get your own coffee, mind you. _Pour_ your own coffee! Even if it's on the desk right next to you."

"Who doesn't pour their own coffee?" Jaune wondered. "I mean, unless I'm ordering a latte or something, I'd rather have control over exactly how much milk, sugar, and whatever else goes in it."

"Well, it's considered more proper having a secretary who is supposed to psychically know the exact ratio of coffee to milk required for the optimum cup." Pyrrha rolled her eyes. "As I got older, I made a point of not taking jobs from people like that."

"Good policy." Jaune noticed the slight emphasis on "As I got older." He deduced that Pyrrha's parents hadn't cared much about where their daughter's talent went as long as the money and fame were good. He didn't know much about them, but the fact that they had essentially disowned their daughter for deciding to keep Athena wrote them in a permanently bad light as far as he was concerned.

"Thank you. I try." Pyrrha kissed Athena before placing her back in the pen. "I should prepare her food. Afterward, do you want to try out that fried rice recipe? I bought soy sauce the other day."

"Sure!" Due to a mutual need to remain healthy, and a marked tiredness of most takeout places, the two had started cooking together on a regular basis. Sometimes, they would prepare dumplings and soups in Jaune's kitchen. Larger projects and most bakery items were prepared in Pyrrha's kitchen. Success varied depending on the day and on the dish. Athena was always quiet during these times. Jaune guessed that she was smelling the food, and couldn't help but wonder how much the kid was yearning for the day when she could eat whatever she wanted.

A few minutes later, they were attempting to follow a recipe that they had found on the internet. "Oh, do we have chilled rice? It says the cooked rice has to be chilled."

"I took care of that last night," Pyrrha said. "I bought some red peppers to add to it, if that's okay."

"Sure. Do you mind if we cut the frozen carrots out of the recipe? I hate carrots."

"Okay, it says to put the egg on first… Oh dear, is it supposed to cook that quickly?"

"I think so- Wait, no! Nope! It's burning!"

A few minutes later, they sat at the table, eating the finished product. Jaune grimaced as he chewed on a rubbery bit of egg. Pyrrha bit down on the overcooked shrimp and winced. After exchanging a glance, the two simultaneously got up and scraped their failure into the trash.

"And this is why I like having Ren holding my hand whenever I'm in the kitchen," Jaune sighed, taking out his cellphone. "Wanna order some fried rice from the professionals?"

"I suppose I can handle takeout one more time this week," Pyrrha said. "Maybe some orange chicken too."

"Ooh, and egg rolls!" Jaune called the Chinese delivery place down the street and placed the order.

Pyrrha took Athena from the playpen and sat on the couch, holding her dozing daughter in her lap. "Do you cook frequently with Ren?"

"When I can," Jaune said, sitting next to her. He smiled as Athena reached for his hand, which he held out to her. She took his forefinger in a surprisingly-strong grip and tried to wave it around like a rattle. This resulted in a few ineffective tugs before she gave up with a disgruntled gurgle.

"During high school, Nora, Ruby, and I would go over to his house on Fridays and make a big dinner together." Jaune snickered. "I really should introduce you to Ruby. She has a tendency to burn stuff too."

Pyrrha smiled. "You're really lucky to have such a close circle of friends. Nora has been so kind to me whenever I see her at the gym."

"She's always happy to play the role of Cardin-repellent," Jaune said. "If you really want to get to know them better, I can arrange a hang-out. We could go to a movie night, or something."

"As wonderful as that sounds, you're honestly the only babysitter I trust with Athena right now," Pyrrha admitted. "I wouldn't know who to leave her with."

"I could ask Ruby's dad," Jaune suggested. "He raised both her and Yang alone. If anyone can be trusted with a kid, it's him." He noted Pyrrha's hesitant expression. "But, I get that you'd have to get to know him first," he continued. "We could do something here. Have Ren help us all cook something, then have a _Smash Bros._ tournament."

"That sounds grand!" Pyrrha smiled when Athena fell asleep on her chest. "One moment." She stood up and went into Athena's room, carefully setting her daughter down in her crib. She checked the baby monitor to make sure it was on, placed Athena's teddy nearby, and gently tucked her in.

When she returned to the living room, she paused briefly, looking at Jaune. He was casually flipping channels on the television, his expression one of lazy contentment. The smell of burnt rice from their failed cooking attempt lingered in the air.

It suddenly struck Pyrrha how domestic this whole situation was, and how perfectly Jaune seemed to fit, whether he was in the kitchen with her, caring for Athena, or kicking her butt at video games. It was almost like he was meant to be there with her.

 _Stop it!_ she firmly told herself, realizing that her thoughts were going in a very dangerous direction.

Jaune put the remote down as Pyrrha sat next to him. "This is why I don't buy cable. Hundreds of channels, but nothing to watch."

"I've honestly been thinking of switching to streaming services," Pyrrha admitted. "Though, I may have a lack of self-control when it comes to binging certain series."

"That is a problem," Jaune said sagely. "Have you ever seen _Stranger Things_?"

"No, but I've heard about it. It's on my list of things to watch."

"Well, make sure you have seventeen hours free," Jaune advised. "Because you will binge the whole thing without a break."

"Seventeen hours?!" Pyrrha gasped. "Have you done that?"

"Well, no," Jaune admitted. "But I did binge each season when it came out, and that was about nine hours each. I probably would have if I had discovered it after season two aired."

"I will definitely keep that in mind," Pyrrha said, looking up as she heard the buzzer. "I can pay for dinner."

"You don't have to."

"I'm the one who burned the egg. I insist." Pyrrha stood up and strode out the door with her wallet before Jaune could protest again.

The door closed and Jaune slumped back against the cushions with a sigh. This was the fifth time in a row that Pyrrha was paying for his food, six if he included their stop at the coffee house the other day. He knew that it made more sense to let her pay, since he was still trying to make ends meet and she was a super-successful model with money to spare, but it didn't make him feel like any less of a mooch.

 _Hey, you're not a mooch,_ he tried telling himself. _You babysit Athena all the time._

 _Which Pyrrha pays you for,_ the self-deprecating part of his mind retorted.

 _I've tried saying no, but she said she'd hide the money in my hoodie if I didn't take it! She's determined to pay me._

 _Because she feels sorry for you,_ his brain hissed nastily. _You're a pathetic loser with no career prospects and a crap apartment._

 _Shut up!_ he thought fiercely. _Pyrrha is my friend!_

 _A friend who pities you. What makes it worse is that you're totally falling for her._

 _Am not!_

He could practically feel a mental eyeroll from the traitorous part of his brain. _Please. Like you don't get all fuzzy whenever she smiles at you, or stare at her legs after she comes back from the gym, or get super happy whenever she baby-talks to Athena. Face it: You've inserted yourself into a sappy family fantasy, when you know deep down that this brave, awesome, gorgeous woman is way too good for a scrawny dork like you._

The doorknob turned, and Jaune quickly mustered a casual expression and pushed his thoughts to the side. He really needed to stop getting into these destructive arguments with himself.

Pyrrha stepped in, smiling brightly. "It's incredible how punctual these places are!"

"That is the point," Jaune noted, getting up to grab two plates. "And the primary appeal."

"Along with the fact that it's definitely not good for you," Pyrrha said, putting the bags on the table. "I was never allowed to eat anything like this when I was modeling."

"Wait, never?" Jaune set the plates down and started spooning fried rice onto both. "Not even as a snack?"

"No, my parents and my first agent had me on a very strict diet since I was a teen," Pyrrha explained. "I had to adhere to it completely, along with a specific exercise regimen. Oh, and then there was the mile-long list of products I had to use just to go out in public."

"That…" Jaune hesitated, not wanting to directly insult Pyrrha's parents, no matter how awful they sounded. "That sounds kinda harsh," he finished lamely.

"It was," Pyrrha admitted as she unpackaged the orange chicken, loving the citrusy, sticky smell that wafted from the cardboard container. "Sometimes, I got really hungry and spent over an hour agonizing over the pros and cons of sneaking just one extra granola bar. Would my parents find out? Would I gain too much weight and ruin the career my parents had worked so hard for?"

She glanced toward Athena's bedroom. "I suppose I did do the latter, only in a different way."

"Wow." Jaune shook his head slowly. "That's a lot of pressure to be under. I've known kids in school who developed eating disorders based on way less than that."

"I've known several over the years," Pyrrha sighed. "I was very lucky. Still, when I turned eighteen, I hired a new agent and started eating what I wanted more often. I still didn't eat a whole lot of snack foods, or any takeout, mostly out of habit." The two sat down on the couch. "I think I finally understand why monitoring the food I eat was so important. I've been trying to get myself back in shape, but it's been difficult, and I can't seem to get myself back into my old diet."

"I think you look beautiful just the way you are," Jaune said honestly. His face flushed when he realized what he had just said.

Pyrrha blushed, her smile widening involuntarily. "Thank you."

The two ate in a comfortable, but slightly charged silence. Once they were done, Jaune got up to do the dishes. "I guess I should get some sleep."

"Me too," Pyrrha agreed. "If there's one thing I've learned about having a child, it's that you need to sleep whenever you get the chance."

"Be prepared for when you switch from a crib to a bed," Jaune advised. "When that happened for my younger sisters, they were always barging into my room, my older sisters' room, or my parents' room."

"Nightmares?"

"Sometimes. Kids come up with a lot of reasons to be out of bed." Jaune smiled nostalgically. He hoped that Silvia was doing well with her nightmares. He should really call home soon. "Well, see you."

"Bye, Jaune." Pyrrha hugged him briefly before he went, enjoying the warmth and brief security the gesture offered. He and Nora were the only people she knew who hugged on a regular basis, or at least who hugged her on a regular basis, with Ren showing his affection in a more subtle, distant way. It was strange. When people know you're famous, they never hug you. They want to kiss you or shake your hand or get a selfie, but a firm, comforting hug is always too intimate, too personal of a wall for anyone to breach.

Pyrrha didn't feel any of those metaphorical walls anymore. Ever since she moved to Vale, it was like an anvil had been lifted from her chest, an anvil that had been there for years without her consciously realizing it. She definitely had a more serious and consistent responsibility, now that she was a mother, but everything about it was more rewarding, more personally fulfilling than all of her seven years of modeling.

Would she have felt different if she had been given a choice about her future at any point in her life? Part of her dreaded going back into modeling, but another rationalized that this would be her first time doing so without her parents hovering over her shoulder, her first time truly making her own decisions. Maybe, she would actually enjoy it this time. There seemed to be far more things to enjoy now than there ever had been before.

She already felt a deeper connection with Jaune than with any of the people she had met so far. Everyone in the past, even the kindest of people, had always been aware of her status, which made them change their attitudes toward her, even if the change was slight. There was always some distance between her and everyone else. But people like Jaune, Nora, and Ren didn't have those walls. They just accepted her and treated her like a regular person.

Perhaps, at the end of the day, that was all she had ever wanted to be.

She imagined what her future would be in a few years. She pictured Athena growing up and attending school. She imagined grocery shopping, packing lunches, and spending evenings with her friends while Athena had sleepovers or went to football games on the weekends.

She had to heavily edit her vision, because she kept involuntarily imagining Jaune in places she shouldn't be imagining him: coming through her door after work and kicking off his shoes, making dinner in the kitchen with her every night and not leaving afterward, falling asleep on the couch with Athena curled up next to him…

 _Stop. It._ Pyrrha shook herself from her fantasies just as Athena's troubled voice came through on the monitor. Taking a breath to steady herself, she hurried to check on her daughter for the first of what would likely be many times that night.

….

It was a week later when Jaune came home from work just in time to catch Pyrrha at the end of her afternoon walk with Athena. The first thing he noticed was that Athena was wailing up an epic storm in her stroller. The second was that Pyrrha looked angrier than he had ever seen her.

He hurried over. "Hey. Need help?"

Despite her deep-rooted annoyance with the rest of the world, Pyrrha managed a smile. "Thank you."

Jaune picked up the struggling baby and started talking to her, bouncing her up and down the way he used to do for Silvia and Jenny. "Wasn't in the mood for a walk, was she?"

Pyrrha shook her head. "Athena wasn't the problem. The many, many people suddenly populating the park were the problem." She took Athena's giraffe toy out of the stroller and tried to wave it in front of her, which had at least the small effect of distracting her for a moment.

"Too much stress?"

"You have no idea." Pyrrha took a deep breath, allowing herself to relax as she heard her daughter's cries lessen a bit. She touched the giraffe's nose to Athena's cheek, eliciting a small smile. "I didn't tell you this before, but those teens we met over a month ago did end up posting about me on social media."

"Of course, they did," Jaune sighed.

"Nothing happened at first," Pyrrha said. "But, over time, more people started recognizing me. Now, there's a whole group that seems to have my weekly schedule entirely memorized!"

"Oh no," Jaune groaned.

"I had to take a roundabout way home, just to lose them. I can't imagine what will happen if they find out where I live!" Pyrrha shuddered at the thought.

"Did you tell them off?"

"Yes! That's the worst part. First, I tried being polite. Then, I _kept_ being polite, because that's the kind of person I am. Then, they started crowding Athena and I firmly told them to back off. They didn't, Athena started crying, and I ended up shouting at them!" She shook her head despairingly. "They looked so shocked and disappointed. I wanted to apologize, but I needed to bring Athena home before I got crowded again."

Jaune rolled his eyes. "You didn't owe them an apology, Pyrrha. They should have respected your boundaries, and Athena's."

"I know," Pyrrha murmured. "I was always taught to be humble, and that I had to please everyone else in order to be successful."

Athena's cries finally subsided completely as she listened to Jaune and Pyrrha talk. She looked up at Jaune with a smile, then reached her hands out toward Pyrrha. "Mama!"

Pyrrha's expression softened as she took her daughter into her arms. "I'm sorry, sweetie. I'll walk you somewhere quiet next time."

"There are smaller trails in the park," Jaune said. "And some other routes I know of. Maybe you just need to change your schedule up a bit every few weeks."

"I suppose," Pyrrha murmured. "Ren has been offering to babysit. Perhaps, I can leave Athena with him and go with you to the gym on Monday?"

"Only if you want to see the most pathetic workout in the world," Jaune said with a laugh. "Speaking of Ren, he and Nora are coming over to play video games tonight. You in?"

"That sounds grand!" Pyrrha placed Athena back in the stroller and started pushing it through the door. "Though, will it be _Skyrim_? Because I think I want to limit her exposure to gory games, at least a little."

"Hey. Mature video games are good for development. I watched my sisters play _StarCraft_ since I was three! I started playing when I was six."

Pyrrha had nothing to worry about, however. The name of the game that night was _DDR_.

The four played for a few hours, switching up the team-ups each time. In her playpen, Athena giggled or stared in awe, depending on who was dancing. Whenever it was Pyrrha's turn, the baby would start clapping her hands excitedly, trying to stand up. Nora thought it was the most adorable thing ever. The last round of the evening was between Ren and Jaune, and they were going all-out.

Pyrrha realized that her mouth was open as she watched the boys' feet and sometimes hands dart around faster than humanely possible as arrows flashed by quicker than speedsters on a freeway. A sheen of sweat was on their skin, and both had shed their jackets a while ago. Not much was left to the imagination concerning what was under their dampening tee shirts. She noticed Nora giving her a knowing grin and blushed.

"It's okay," Nora whispered. "I'm enjoying the view too." She waggled her eyebrows in Ren's direction and winked.

After that song, Pyrrha got up. "I'd love to stay, but it's Athena's bedtime."

"I'll grab the playpen, if you want," Jaune offered.

"Thank you." Pyrrha picked up Athena and the teddy bear. "Okay, Athena. Say bye-bye to Ren and Nora."

Athena opened and closed her hand. "Buh-buh."

"Omigosh!" Nora squealed. "She's just so cute, I can't deal!" She hugged Pyrrha while lightly booping Athena's nose. "Bye, Athena! Aunty Nora will see you real soon!" She looked up at Pyrrha. "Can you get her to call me Aunty Nora? I _so_ want to be the cool, crazy aunt!"

Pyrrha chuckled. "Once she starts speaking more coherently. She's been rapidly improving, so it may not be long."

"Bye!" Athena chirped, as if to prove her mother's point.

"Awwww!" Nora's eyes sparkled. "Ren, drag me away before I steal her."

Ren ruffled her hair affectionately. "You know we can't afford a kid, Nora." He turned to Pyrrha. "But, I can babysit. Jaune mentioned you're switching up your gym schedule. I'm free Monday afternoon. Would you prefer it if I came over, or if you dropped her off at my place?"

"Well, since my apartment is already baby-proof, coming here may be easier," Pyrrha said. "Thank you, Ren."

"As for your crazy fans," Nora piped up. "I can act as a bodyguard whenever you go out. Unlike you, I don't have a reputation that will be ruined if I punch people. If anything, I'll just be living up to it."

"That's very kind of you," Pyrrha said. "However, I don't think breaking legs is the answer. I don't want to be responsible for you getting arrested."

"You're rich. You can pay my bail."

"No, Nora," Ren said firmly.

Pyrrha chuckled. "It was wonderful seeing you again." She followed Jaune across the hall and into her apartment, where he propped the playpen against the wall.

"Well, see you on Monday," Jaune said. "Try not to judge my pathetic lack of gym swag."

"You're under the impression that I have any swag to speak of?" Pyrrha raised an eyebrow.

"I assumed models just automatically have it." Jaune grinned at Athena. "I know you got it, huh? Goddesses have all the swag, right kiddo?"

Athena giggled, reaching both her hands toward Jaune. "Dada!"

There was silence. Jaune became vaguely aware of the fact that his face's temperature was rapidly reaching near-volcanic levels. A quick glance at Pyrrha's face told him that she was in a similar position. The correct thing to do would be to act like he hadn't heard anything, say goodbye casually, and take a moment to cool down before going back to Ren and Nora.

"See you later, Pyrrha. You too, Athena," he said, keeping his voice light.

"Y-Yes. Until next time. Thanks again for inviting us over," Pyrrha stammered, making sure to keep her eyes averted. She wasn't sure what Jaune's current expression was, but she didn't think seeing it would do anything to improve the state of her rapidly-pounding heart and burning cheeks.

It wasn't until after the door closed that Jaune allowed a bright, slightly-tearful smile to spread across his face. He loved kids. He had always loved kids, even during the times when his sisters were driving him crazy. This, however, had to be at the very top of his list of cute, heartwarming moments.

 _I guess it makes sense,_ he thought. _Next to Pyrrha, I spend the most time with her._ He glanced at the door, suddenly feeling a little apprehensive. _I hope Pyrrha wasn't too embarrassed by that. Her face was pretty red._

Was she embarrassed because of the basic romantic assumptions that would come in the future if Athena continued seeing Jaune in such a light? Could she be embarrassed because she also had feelings for-

 _Nope!_ Jaune tried yet again to shut down his thoughts before they could get carried away. Unfortunately, his emotions refused to listen, and the butterflies remained in his stomach even as he returned to his apartment.

Nora noticed immediately. "So, did you get a goodnight kiss this time?"

"What?!" Jaune's face, which had just started to regain its normal color, flared up again. "No! Why would you even- We're just friends!"

"Uh huh." Nora rolled her eyes. "Just like how Ren and I were 'just friends' throughout high school." She patted the spot next to her on the couch. "C'mon. Give us the details."

"There aren't any details," Jaune insisted as he sat down. "Athena just called me 'Dada.' That's all." The corner of his mouth twitched involuntarily.

Nora gasped. "Oh. My. Gosh. That is adorable!"

Ren immediately noticed Jaune's suppressed expression. "That made you a little happier than expected, did it?"

"Huh?" Jaune tried to make his face blank, but Ren's piercing stare proved to be too much for him. His shoulders sagged. "Okay, fine. I really like Pyrrha, and I care a lot about Athena. But, Pyrrha's a successful model and a mother. She doesn't need a poor kid who hasn't even been to college pining for her."

"One, you're not a kid anymore," Nora said. "Two, are you seriously saying that you're not worthy of her because you aren't as privileged? News flash: That's not your fault! Also, how many romantic stories have we read and watched that teach the lesson of: 'Money doesn't make you better'"

"It has no bearing on your character," Ren agreed. "From what I understand, you've shown her and her daughter more kindness and generosity than her own family, and I know you did so without expecting anything in return."

"Of course, I didn't expect anything," Jaune muttered. "That's why I don't want to try anything now."

"It won't be 'trying something' if you're honest," Ren said. "It's true that being in a relationship with Pyrrha should be approached cautiously. She is a well-known individual, after all, and you'll have to consider the risk of celebrity gossip. Also, she has a child, which is a very important factor. That doesn't mean it's impossible, however. The question should be whether or not you are _ready_ for such a commitment, not whether or not you _deserve_ it."

Jaune gave his friend an impressed, slightly-incredulous look. It was still hard to believe that someone his age could be so effortlessly wise. "You could seriously start an advice blog."

"I keep telling him that!" Nora piped up, snuggling against Ren and gazing proudly up at him. "My boyfriend's the smartest person in the world!"

Ren glanced to the side, his cheeks turning pink. "I wouldn't say that," he muttered in a shy but pleased voice.

Nora giggled, poking his cheek. "You're definitely the cutest!"

Jaune rolled his eyes. "Should I leave the room?"

"Oh, shut up!" Nora laughed, shoving him easily off the couch.

Jaune laughed along with her. As the three picked up their controllers and Nora put in a new game, Jaune glanced toward his door, Ren's words mulling in his mind.

 _Maybe… I'll think about it._ For now, that was the least scary promise he could make to himself.

…..

Pyrrha had just finished putting Athena to bed. She checked the monitor, then went into the kitchen, intent on preparing herself some hot cocoa. Hopefully, it would help to soothe her still-erratic heartbeat.

Why had her wonderful, adorable, oblivious baby girl felt the need to do that? Why, oh why, had Athena managed to, in one word, send Pyrrha's suppressed fantasies spiraling out of control?

There was a growing part of Pyrrha that really, really liked the idea of Jaune being Athena's "Dada," or at least something close to it. But, that was incredibly presumptuous and weird, wasn't it? She shouldn't be having such thoughts about someone just because he was kind to her daughter. That was where all the horror stories about psycho single mothers came from!

But, it wasn't just because Jaune was kind to Athena. It was because he always managed to make Pyrrha smile. It was because he treated her like a regular person, rather than a celebrity. It was because he cared about what she was interested in, and talked to her regularly about his own passions. It was because she liked being around him, and he genuinely seemed to like being around her. Wasn't that the basis of all healthy relationships?

Pyrrha sighed. She wished she had someone to ask about this.

As she warmed up the cocoa, an idea occurred to her. At first, she tried to push it aside. There was no way she would get a response, not after all that had happened.

It wasn't until she was sitting in her armchair, mug in hand, that she finally caved and took out her phone. It was late, but her mother might still be up watching her favorite shows.

Pyrrha thought for several minutes about what to say before finally typing: _"Hello, Mother. Can I call you?"_

She waited. The cocoa was warm and felt silky going down her throat. It allowed her to take a few soothing breaths. No response.

She turned on the television, keeping the volume low and turning the subtitles on. An entire episode of some unimportant sitcom passed before she looked at her phone again.

"Message read."

She stared at the screen. Her mother had seen the text ten minutes ago. That wasn't necessarily a bad sign. Maybe, she was using the bathroom and would return for a long, deep conversation with her daughter, during which they would finally reconcile and she would give Pyrrha the advice about this situation that mothers were supposed to give.

Fifteen minutes passed. Pyrrha felt a lump growing in her throat as she sent another message: _"Please?"_

"Message read." This time, it appeared, immediately.

Tears dripped onto the screen as another fifteen minutes passed. Stifling a sob, Pyrrha threw her phone to the side, where it landed soundlessly on the couch.

It remained silent.

 **Sorry about the downer ending, but since Pyrrha's parents are meant to be jerks who essentially kicked their daughter out due to her getting pregnant, I felt that the issue deserved more attention. Don't worry, though. I will fully make up for it with a sickly overdose of fluff.**

 **If you like what you see and want to show extra support while earning sweet rewards, my P/atreon is Solora Goldsun.**

 **Peace out!**


	3. Chapter 3

**I hope you didn't think I had forgotten about this little beauty! I just ended up on a wonky writing schedule. Thankfully, that schedule ended with me finishing drafts of everything, so you'll be getting the next update of this before the end of the month. Thanks again for this commission, D. KnightOfShadows! You know my weakness for fluffy Arkos!**

 **Enjoy!**

Jaune couldn't help but feel a little self-conscious when he went to the gym with Pyrrha a few days later. It was hard not to notice his friend's superior form when on the machines, or the fact that she could easily lift weights that he could barely move. At least they were pretty evenly-matched on the treadmill (Jaune's dance practice kept his lungs and legs in pretty good shape).

It wasn't that he felt emasculated by Pyrrha's obvious physical superiority. No, living with seven sisters and having mostly female friends had beaten toxic feelings like that out of his brain long ago.

Honestly, most of his negative feelings came from Cardin. While Pyrrha seemed to have not noticed his presence, it was hard for Jaune to ignore the way his old high school bully looked at him. It was an expression of sneering almost-laughter, like he was getting ready to crack a particularly cruel joke at the first opportunity. Jaune really wasn't looking forward to when Cardin had that chance.

Despite the fact that they were both out of high school, and that Nora acted as guaranteed protection most of the time, Jaune couldn't help but feel like a wimpy kid again whenever he was stuck dealing with Cardin alone. While he was better at telling his bully to get lost, and showing his complete lack of interest in whatever he had to say, that childish pang of fear and self-loathing still remained.

So, when Cardin followed him toward the drinking fountains, Jaune internally groaned, braced himself, and hoped that Nora would magically appear before he had to endure too much.

"Hey, man!" Cardin was acting overly friendly, which meant he was about to go into a condescending lecture, likely with Jaune's head trapped under his arm.

Jaune edged out of range as he met Cardin's gaze. "What is it?"

Cardin held up his hands. "Hey, no need to sound so hostile! Aren't we friends?"

Jaune didn't grace that question with an answer.

"Well, whatever," Cardin continued smoothly. "Bro-code is a sacred thing, and should be observed by all guys. As a fellow bro, I'm here to give you a fair warning."

"I'm not a bro," Jaune said flatly. At least, he wasn't the kind of "bro" Cardin likely associated himself with. "But, go ahead."

"I'll just get right to it: You're being played, dude," Cardin said, shrugging like he had just delivered news that coffee had been spilled on Jaune's workout bag, and that he found that news to be just a bit humorous.

Jaune blinked. That wasn't what he had been expecting. "Played, how?"

"By that model chick," Cardin elaborated, slowly enunciating his words as if he was talking to a child. "You know, the one with the hot bod who's got you by the collar so she can have an easy babysitter for her lovechild." He shook his head pityingly. "I mean, be straight with me: Have you gotten laid yet? Or even to first base?"

For a moment, Jaune found that he actually couldn't speak. A potent combination of shock and fury filled him all of a sudden, temporarily choking him.

"I know, man," Cardin said, thinking Jaune's expression was personal rage at the idea of getting duped. He was obviously relishing dropping this metaphorical bomb on his favorite victim. "It sucks. You just gotta learn to have a little more pride when you're looking for a lay. Stay away from chicks with kids. They just want a convenient stand-in dad who they can leech for a few extra bucks."

Pure indignant fury managed to push some words through Jaune's throat. "How dare you?"

Cardin blinked. "Huh?"

"You will _not_ talk about Pyrrha like that! You hear me?" Jaune's voice was low and quiet, trembling a bit with the anger that filled him.

"What? I'm just trying to help you out!" Cardin said, taking a step back. "I mean, do you actually think a bombshell like that would hang out with someone like you unless she wanted something?"

"Someone like who?" Jaune snapped. "A friend? Is it really so hard to believe that two people can be friends without having a hidden agenda?"

Cardin scowled. "You're in heavy denial, man. I'm just trying to do you a favor."

"No, you're just being a jerk," Jaune retorted. "You're mad that Pyrrha turned you down, and you've always had something against me, so you're trying to drive a wedge in our friendship, because you get some sick joy out of making people miserable!"

Cardin folded his arms, his eyes glinting dangerously, though he seemed a bit taken aback at Jaune's anger, enough for him to decide against outright punching him. "Fine. Just trying to help a guy out. That's the last time I do you any favors." He walked by Jaune, shoving him hard with his shoulder as he did so.

Jaune bit back a yelp at the new pain in his arm. This, combined with the boiling anger and frustration Cardin had ignited, finally succeeded in bringing tears to his eyes and he quickly ducked into the nearby locker room.

He turned on the faucet and splashed cold water in his face, taking deep breaths as he tried to regain his composure. What had happened back there? He had never gotten this angry at Cardin before, not even when he had been locked in his locker for over an hour in high school. That had mostly been anger tinged with helplessness and despair.

Now, it was like a brand of pure rage was pressing against his ribs. The only time he could remember feeing something similar was when he had found out that someone at Katie's school had been bullying her, cutting her hair during recess.

"Hey," a voice spoke, causing Jaune to jump. "You okay?"

Someone handed Jaune a paper towel, which he quickly used. Once his vision was clear, he recognized Sun Wukong, one of Blake's friends. "Yeah," he muttered, a little embarrassed. "Just…jerks trying to ruin my day."

Sun grimaced sympathetically. "Let me guess: Cardin?" When Jaune nodded, Sun sighed. "You really should tell the manager. You're not the only one he screws around with, and I think he's just a few reports away from being totally banned."

Jaune nodded. "I'll do that." The thought of a Cardin-free gym was more than a little appealing.

After Sun left, Jaune took another minute to calm himself before going back out. By this point, both Nora and Pyrrha were looking for him.

"Hey, Jaune!" Nora zipped over. "We were wondering where you were. Did you get a leg cramp, or-" She stopped suddenly when she saw his red-rimmed eyes. "What did Cardin do?" she growled.

Pyrrha frowned as she approached. "What happened?" A coil of anger twisted in her stomach as she saw Jaune's face. She had seen Cardin storming out of the gym a few minutes ago, looking angrier than usual. If he had hurt Jaune in any way…

"It's nothing," Jaune said. "I'll tell you later. I know we've only been here a half hour, but…"

"Of course, we can leave!" Pyrrha insisted. "I'll collect my things."

"I can just go home," Jaune suggested, not wanting to cut Pyrrha's gym session short. Though he was always happy to babysit, his work schedule and need for frequent overtime hours had cut down the days he could do so. If that was anything to go by, Pyrrha wasn't getting out that much.

"I've honestly had enough for today," Pyrrha said nonchalantly as she collected her things. "Having Athena has forced me to cut down on my workout routine, so I should go about this slowly. Getting back into my former shape all at once wouldn't be very healthy."

"Pacing yourself is important," Nora agreed. "So is food. Anyone up for IHOP?"

"Won't that undo your workout?" Jaune asked skeptically.

Nora gave him a deadpan look. "Jaune. Have you even _met_ me?"

Jaune laughed. "Okay, true."

"Besides, you can eat whatever you want on a workout day. It doesn't count, since you were in a gym."

Pyrrha chuckled. "I like the way you think."

Jaune, following Sun's advice, filed a complaint before leaving with his friends. Once at IHOP, he reluctantly recounted what had happened with Cardin. He didn't particularly want Pyrrha to hear the ugly things that had been said about her. She probably got enough of that already, as famous people rarely escaped such treatment. Still, she had a right to know.

Pyrrha wasn't the least bit surprised. People loved coming up with scandalous reasons for every little thing a celebrity did. From someone like Cardin, such behavior was to be expected.

Nora slammed a hand on the table as Jaune finished. "That's it! He's dead! Next time I see his face, I'm crushing it into the pavement!"

"No, Nora," both Jaune and Pyrrha said at the same time.

"I honestly feel sorry for him," Pyrrha commented. "Imagine having such an ugly view of the world, unable to believe that there are decent people who genuinely want to help each other."

"It's hard for me to pity someone like that," Jaune grumbled.

"That's understandable. Still, I don't think you can do much more to him than what he's already done to himself," Pyrrha reasoned. "I'm glad that there are people trying to get him kicked out of the gym. I already told the managers about how he tried to harass me that one time. Hopefully, he won't be bothering anyone there soon."

"How are you so chill?" Nora wondered.

Pyrrha shrugged. "You learn to be when you're under constant scrutiny from a young age."

Jaune bit back a comment concerning his personal feelings toward Pyrrha's parents for putting her in such a position.

Their pancakes arrived, and the focus turned toward Nora proudly showing just how many she could stomach. By the end of their meal, Pyrrha wasn't entirely convinced that her new friend could possibly be human.

When they got back to Pyrrha's apartment, they found Ren and Athena sitting on the couch. Ren was just finishing a storybook that Pyrrha hadn't seen before.

"And the dragons turned into the four great rivers of China, supplying the people with water for the rest of eternity." He smiled at the three as they came in. "Hello. Did you have fun?"

"Yep!" Nora ran over. "Ooh, that's one of my favorite stories!"

"Wagon!" Athena chirped, placing a hand on one of the pages, which had a colorful illustration of four Chinese dragons.

Nora stifled a squeal. "So cuuuute!"

Pyrrha smiled as she picked up her daughter. "Hello, love. Did you behave for Uncle Ren?"

Athena giggled and put her hand in her mouth.

"She wasn't too sure about me as her babysitter at first," Ren admitted. "But, she calmed down once I brought out the picture books."

"She does love story time," Pyrrha said, kissing Athena's cheek. "I read to her every day."

Nora couldn't resist booping Athena's nose as Ren stood up. "Hey, cutie! Can you say Nora? No-ra," she said, carefully enunciating it.

Athena blinked. "Wa…"

"Oh, so close! Try again: Nora."

"Wa…Wagon!"

Everyone laughed. While Pyrrha chatted a bit more with Ren and Nora, Jaune quickly and discreetly checked around the apartment, making sure his neighbor wasn't running out of any essentials. Due to his prior experience with kids, he knew how quickly certain things could run out. Thankfully, everything seemed to be in order. Pyrrha always seemed grateful whenever he added something to her shopping list that she had forgotten, but he always worried that he was being too imposing.

Once Ren and Nora went home, Jaune approached Pyrrha. "So, are you really okay?" he asked. "You can tell me if what Cardin said bothered you."

Pyrrha's easy smile faded, and she hated how quickly it did so. She was good at putting on a mask when in public, but Jaune always seemed to see right through it. She didn't want to trouble him. "I…I'm fine."

Jaune's brows lowered. "Pyrrha, I'm a guy. Whenever we say 'I'm fine,' the opposite is always true."

Pyrrha sighed as she put Athena in her play pen. There was no hiding from him, she supposed. "Of course, it bothers me," she admitted. "Hearing things like that always hurts, but you have to learn to ignore it when you can, or it can drive you into a downward spiral that's very hard to get out of." She hesitated before asking: "You don't think I'm taking advantage, do you?"

"What?!" Jaune gasped. "No way! How could I even- You've done way more for me than I've done for you!"

"Excuse me?" Pyrrha was actually stunned. "How do you figure that?"

"You got me a better job," Jaune said, tacking off on his fingers. "You made it so that I don't have to eat potatoes and ramen every night. You've been an amazing friend!"

He glanced to the side. "Honestly, I was in a bit of a downward spiral of my own before you and Athena came along. Seeing what you've done, what you've been able to do even after your parents didn't want you to keep her… It's really inspiring. I'm honored that I've been able to help you with her, and I feel that I can actually get my own life together if I keep pushing forward. I never really felt that before."

When Pyrrha didn't respond right away, his face flushed. "Sorry. I'm rambling."

"No, you're not!" Pyrrha hurriedly said. "Not at all! I'm just…" She took a shuddering breath. "I'm sorry. I'm still not used to being spoken to so honestly. Most of the people in my life were either speaking to me professionally or acting fake. You're the first real friend I've had in years. I can't even begin to describe what that's meant to me."

She looked at Athena, smiling softly. "When I first left my parents, I was worried about whether I'd be able to take care of Athena. I had the money, but I was terrified of navigating this on my own. You were there for me, even when you didn't really know me." She turned back to Jaune. "You're an incredible person, Jaune, and I'm so lucky to have met you."

"Wow…" Jaune was quiet for a moment as he took in what Pyrrha had said. He had never stopped to consider how lonely she had likely been before meeting him. The thought of this wonderful person not having a friend for so long was downright tragic. "I'm really glad I helped," he finally said.

Pyrrha smiled, relieved at the lightening mood. "That's what friends do, right?"

Jaune grinned. "Definitely. Screw Cardin!" He paused. "Well, not literally. I wouldn't wish that on anyone." His heart stuttered when Pyrrha laughed at that. _Wow, she's beautiful when she laughs…_

They ended up spending the rest of the day together, alternating between taking care of Athena and playing video games. Jaune had to stop playing _Skyrim_ , though, because Athena started crying when his character killed one of the "wagons."

The hour grew later, and neither one mentioned Jaune going home. It was as if, deep down, they were worried that the emotional significance of their earlier conversation would fade once they separated for the evening. They both felt the lingering feelings from their talk, potent and reassuring.

Still, eventually, Jaune had to go back to his apartment. He mused that he could easily kiss Pyrrha when they said goodnight. It would be the perfect moment. Any romantic protagonist would do the same.

He wouldn't, though. They were both riding an emotional high after Cardin's bullying and their following conversation, and he didn't want to take advantage of Pyrrha, not even a little.

It turned out that he had nothing to worry about: Pyrrha made the first move for him.

It was a moment of weak will on her part. Jaune was just saying goodbye to Athena, smiling in an unguarded manner that was impossible to not completely melt at. Of course, Athena had to call him "Dada" again. He had insisted the other day that he wasn't embarrassed by it, and was actually flattered that Athena liked him so much. Just one more thing to love about him.

He hugged Pyrrha goodbye, like he always did. This time, however, the hug lasted a few extra seconds.

Those few seconds made all the difference for Pyrrha. Those extra moments of clinging to each other for comfort, silently reassuring the other that they were truly thankful that they had found each other, were enough to sufficiently cloud Pyrrha's mind for just a second.

As she pulled back, she touched her lips to Jaune's cheek. It was a quick touch, the barest of brushes, but it was enough.

Jaune's eyes widened and his cheeks grew hot. He hadn't just imagined that, right? He looked at Pyrrha's eyes and saw the hesitant, hopeful shine that was there. All the fear from before, all the self-deprecating thoughts that had kept him at bay, fell away in an instant of clarity.

Pyrrha, meanwhile, was horrified with herself. _What is the one thing I wasn't supposed to do?! I can't believe I could be so selfish and weak-willed!_ She was going to lose her friend over this! The shocked look on his face told her as much. She opened her mouth, an apology on the tip of her tongue…

Only for a pair of warm, chapped lips to muffle her words. Unlike Jaune, her shock only lasted for a moment before she instinctively returned the kiss, placing a hand on his cheek while gripping his shoulder with the other.

Jaune's arms immediately came back to their previous hugging position, wrapping gladly around Pyrrha's tall, muscular form as his inexperienced mouth tried to keep up with hers. She kissed him deeply and firmly, in a way that caused his head to spin. Just when he was realizing that he had forgotten about breathing, Pyrrha pulled away. Small gasps escaped both of their lips, caressing each other's cheeks.

Pyrrha gazed up at Jaune, at his dazed expression, at the way his blue eyes seemed to have taken on a darker hue, at his red face as he tried to remember how to breathe properly. She smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry. That was a little forward, wasn't it?"

Jaune blinked a few times, snapping himself out of his mental haze. "You're…" He let out a quiet laugh. "Pyrrha, you apologize for the weirdest stuff, you know that?"

This evoked an equally-soft laugh from Pyrrha. Neither one wanted to speak too loudly and potentially break this perfect moment, as if it was some fragile thing instead of a very strong new beginning for both of them.

Athena made a noise behind them, and Pyrrha glanced over. It turned out that she was only babbling to her teddy bear again.

"Jaune," she began. "I know that a relationship with a woman in my position might not be ideal. If you want, we can forget this."

"I don't want to forget this!" Jaune said quickly, then hurriedly backtracked. "Uh, unless you do. If you do, then I already forgot it."

Pyrrha shook her head, smiling a little at her considerate friend. "I don't," she insisted. "I just don't want to force you into anything you're not ready for."

"You're not," Jaune insisted. "I told you: I'm used to kids." He looked at Athena. "I really care about both of you. I know it might be hard, but, if you want to…" He trailed off. "I mean, I know someone like me doesn't have a lot to offer. I'm kinda surprised you're interested in a boring high school graduate who can barely get by."

Pyrrha's expression immediately became stern. "There is more to you than that, Jaune. You are certainly not boring, and your circumstances are hardly your fault. You're more responsible than most of the people I've known over the years. You should be proud of how well you're doing, all things considered."

Jaune smiled, remembering saying something similar to Pyrrha when she had expressed worry about being a parent.

"Honestly," she continued. "I was holding back from telling you how I felt because I didn't want to take further advantage of you. I was already rejected by several modeling industries after Athena's birth, as well as my own parents. It seemed impossible that you would want…"

"Hey," Jaune said earnestly. "You are an incredible person, and probably the most beautiful woman who ever lived. Don't you ever doubt that."

Pyrrha blushed, her expression becoming a little bashful as she kissed his cheek again.

"And what did I tell you before? You're not taking advantage of anything!" Jaune insisted.

"I know," Pyrrha murmured. "I understand that, now." She rested her head on Jaune's shoulder, smiling as he immediately rested his head on hers. "I suppose it's easy to think badly of oneself, even when there's no reason to."

"Don't I know that," Jaune muttered, nuzzling the side of her neck gently, smiling when she shifted closer to him.

The two held each other for a while longer, basking in the warmth and comfortable silence that enveloped them in that moment. There was some underlying fear, as one would expect from a totally new relationship, but they took comfort from the fact that this was what they both wanted.

Finally, Jaune reluctantly drew back. "I have work in the morning," he said apologetically.

"Of course," Pyrrha said, touching her lips to his quickly before stepping away. "Sleep well."

"You too." Jaune started toward the door. Now that he wasn't holding Pyrrha, he had the distinct feeling that he had just hallucinated everything. He glanced over his shoulder, saw her smiling warmly at him, and was reassured enough to go out the door.

Pyrrha placed a hand on her mouth once Jaune left, closing her eyes to savor the memory of his clumsy, gentle, warm kiss. She felt oddly giddy, as if this kiss had been her very first.

In a way, she supposed it was.

…

The next few days were almost dreamlike, in that Jaune and Pyrrha had trouble believing that they hadn't dreamed the previous days each time morning came around. They were constantly reassuring each other every time Jaune held Pyrrha's hand in the park or Pyrrha initiated a kiss while they half-watched a movie on her couch. Eventually, they were able to accept that yes, this was real.

Athena continued to grow, both in her physical abilities and vocabulary, her favorite word still being "wagon." Jaune was there when she finally succeeded in walking a full three feet before falling into her mother's waiting arms.

"That was grand, Athena!" Pyrrha gushed, kissing her daughter as happy tears spilled down her cheeks.

Jaune walked over, wiping a few stray tears from his eyes as he ended the video recording on his phone. "She'll be running circles around you soon enough."

"I can't wait," Pyrrha said sincerely, imagining how much more fun their outings to the park would become when Athena could actually play outside of her stroller. "Would you email that to me tonight?"

"Sure. Is it okay if I send it to Ren and Nora?" Jaune asked. "They'll love this!"

"Of course," Pyrrha chuckled. "Honestly, I sometimes worry that Nora will whisk little Athena away one night."

"She definitely fits the category of Crazy Aunt," Jaune noted. "You know, she once told me that when she gets old, she wants to be the crazy old lady all the neighborhood kids think is a witch."

"I can certainly see that," Pyrrha said. "What would Ren be?"

"The grim, expressionless butler who knows martial arts, of course!"

They both laughed, and Athena giggled with them, even though she had no clue what they were talking about.

…

After a little over a month of dating, they ran into their first real hurdle: tabloids.

With all the times Jaune went for walks with Pyrrha and Athena, and the sparse dates they managed whenever Ren and Nora could babysit, it was inevitable that the wrong person would take a photograph and post it online. It spread like wildfire across the internet.

Any sleezy magazine that obsessed over models and enjoyed prying into their personal lives featured the picture. Thankfully, Pyrrha had spent enough time out of the spotlight to not qualify for a cover photo, but it was still a problem.

Jaune got asked questions at work, some genuinely curious, some heavy with winking implications. He was furious when he saw headlines like "Baby-Daddy Finally Revealed" or "Former Model's Weight Gain Demystified."

"What do they mean, 'former model,'" Jaune fumed as he walked home with Ren one night. "She's planning on getting back into it once Athena's older! Why are they writing her off? She's beautiful! Not that it matters: Those magazines will just touch up her photos, anyway."

"People like that will do anything to stir the pot," Ren said quietly, though his apparent calmness was a bit more strained than usual. "Even telling outright lies and debasing perfectly respectable people." This came out as more of a grumble.

"That's not even the worst part!" Jaune raged. "Pyrrha keeps apologizing to me for this, as if it's somehow _her_ fault!"

He gripped his phone angrily, exing out of yet another page featuring the picture. It was a totally innocent moment of them holding hands while they walked Athena in the park. Why did people care so much? "I wish I could just delete all these articles. What right do they have to butt into her life like this?!"

"None," Ren said promptly. "But, the media is very cruel. Nora has offered to track down the person who took the photo and break their legs." For once, he didn't imply that he would stop her if she tried.

"Nah," Jaune sighed. "Too much paperwork involved with something like that."

"True." They got back to the building. "Well, say hello to Pyrrha for me. Tell her that this will all blow over eventually."

"I will." Jaune hurried up the stairs and to Pyrrha's apartment. He was just raising a hand to knock when he became aware of his girlfriend's voice coming through the door. It sounded angrier than he had ever heard it, piercing through the wood even though she wasn't yelling.

"I don't want to hear _anything_ from you!" Pyrrha was saying, her voice simmering with indignant fury. "Do you think you have any right to tell me how to behave after what you did?!"

There was a pause, indicating that she was on the phone.

"No! If you cared, you wouldn't have spent over a year telling me what an ungrateful child I was! You would have- No! No, I don't _care_ about the emails you're getting! Just ignore them! You've always been good at ignoring things that aren't convenient, haven't you?" A sharp intake of breath. "I'm done talking to you. Don't ever call me again!"

There was a thud, likely Pyrrha's phone being thrown. Jaune winced, lowering his hand, feeling as if he had intruded on something he shouldn't have. He was just wondering whether he should just go to his own apartment and wait for Pyrrha to call, when his phone started ringing.

A quick glance told him it was her before the door opened. His heart sank when he saw his girlfriend's red-rimmed eyes and tearstained cheeks.

"Jaune!" she gasped, staring at him. "Were you out here the whole time?"

"Just at the end," Jaune promised. "I'm sorry. I was going to knock, then heard that last part, and I wasn't sure if you wanted to be left alone, or…"

Pyrrha shook her head. "If you don't mind, could you watch Athena for a moment while I…"

"Sure!" Jaune came in immediately and ran over to Athena's playpen.

Athena wasn't crying yet, but her eyes were shining and her bottom lip was trembling. She had never heard her mother sound like that before. Even if the anger hadn't been directed at her, it had been scary.

Jaune picked her up while Pyrrha went into the bathroom. "Hey, kiddo. I know. Your mommy was talking to some mean people, huh? Want me to sic Aunty Nora on them?" He already had an idea concerning who the person on the phone had been, but he was willing to wait for Pyrrha to explain, if she wanted to.

Under Jaune's care, Athena quickly went from nearly crying to giggling happily, tugging at Jaune's hair. "Dada!"

Jaune smiled, kissing the top of her head.

At that moment, Pyrrha came back out, her face clean and her composure somewhat back in place. Despite her lingering anger and sadness, she smiled as she looked at Jaune and Athena. "You really are good with her," she remarked.

"I try." Jaune handed Athena to her mom. "Are you okay?"

"No," Pyrrha sighed. She hugged Athena, checked to see if she needed changing, and put her back in her pen with her toys. "I was just on the phone with my mother."

Jaune grimaced. "What did she want?"

"She wanted to tell me about how I was ruining my image by 'galivanting' around with you, giving the media fuel, and making all these inconveniences for her and my father."

" _You're_ inconveniencing _them_?!" Jaune sputtered. "How does she figure that?"

"Well, I fired my parents as my managers once I turned eighteen. There was some scandal surrounding that. Now that I'm being sighted with a man no one knows, as well as a child, with my parents still living halfway across the country…" She shrugged. "I suppose some people are starting to realize how estranged we are, and that they aren't supporting me and Athena. There have been magazines trying to interview them, and some of my fans harassing them via email."

"So, people are figuring out the truth." Jaune shrugged. "Serves them right."

Pyrrha shook her head. "I don't want my fans harassing anyone. I'll have to make a public statement soon to put an end to it."

"You could just post on your Twitter," Jaune pointed out. "No need to fall for the media circus. The less you react, the less material they'll have."

"True," Pyrrha conceded. "I'm just so sorry you were dragged into this."

"Hey," Jaune said. "I knew what I was getting into. I can deal with a few jerks. I've been dealing with jerks my whole life." He placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's not affecting my job, outside of a few idiot coworkers, and I can deal with anything else. I'm not walking out on this just because of a minor challenge."

"Thank you, Jaune," Pyrrha said, gladly leaning into her boyfriend's comforting embrace. She could smell fresh cotton and traces of his favorite mango bodywash. It made her a little sleepy. "Would you…stay for a little while?"

"Whatever you need," Jaune assured her.

They ended up falling asleep together on the couch, Jaune's arm draped around Pyrrha as her back was warmed by his front. When they woke up the next morning, Jaune nuzzling lazy kisses into Pyrrha's hair, Pyrrha's hand lightly grasping his, it felt like the most natural thing in the world.

The following day, Jaune stayed the night once again, this time in Pyrrha's bed, where they snuggled for an hour before falling blissfully asleep. A few more days ended in this way.

As time passed, they found their cuddle sessions lasting longer and longer, and that they were becoming less and less sleepy as they went on. One night, Pyrrha found her hand slipping under Jaune's shirt, running softly over his abdomen.

Jaune moaned quietly against the side of her neck, where he had been leaving warm, breathy kisses. One of his hands began to slowly, shakily run up Pyrrha's side. When he felt her back arch with pleasure, he nipped carefully at the curve of her shoulder, then moved back to look at her face.

Her emerald eyes were shining, and her smile was one of delighted anticipation. She nodded once as Jaune's eyes asked a wordless question.

Clothes were shed, and hands wandered. Jaune practically worshiped Pyrrha's gorgeous form, feeling her soft curves, as well as the hard muscles that hid beneath. She was, without a doubt, the most beautiful woman he had ever known.

Pyrrha gently kissed Jaune as she touched his hard abs and boney shoulders. Without the layers of cold-weather clothes they had been wearing lately, it was easy to see and feel what Jaune often perceived as "scrawniness." Pyrrha, on the other hand, saw this oddly-muscled body for what it was: the body of a hardworking, honest man. She loved every inch of it.

There was a pause in their passionate play, during which Pyrrha got up to take a foil-wrapped package from her nightstand. She wasn't anywhere close to ready for Athena to become a big sister.

In the aftermath, they held each other, basking in the warm afterglow. Pyrrha couldn't help but think back to the other encounters she had had with various men, including Athena's father. None of them had ended like this, with this sense of safety and genuine happiness, with warm hugs and promises of many more blissful nights in the future. She couldn't believe she had lived without this for so long.

A cry sounded from down the hallway, breaking them out of their dozy haze.

Pyrrha sighed, getting up from the bed. "I'll be right back."

Jaune propped himself up on his elbows, appreciating the sight of his girlfriend as she left to tend to Athena. When she came back a few minutes later, he pulled her into a kiss. "I love you," he murmured against her lips.

Pyrrha's entire body felt like it was engulfed with a joyful, tingling heat. She pressed herself close to Jaune, kissing him deeply. "I love you too," she breathed.

They didn't actually go to sleep for another hour or two.

 **I love taking ships like Team Sloth and Arkos and putting them in modern-day settings. Without the threat of Grimm and evil women with bows and arrows, these ships end up having an incredibly gentle, cozy feel. Healthy, wholesome, supportive romances are my jam, yo!**

 **I'll see you soon with the next chapter, which will largely consist of fluffy snippets of our favorite Arkos family.**

 **Peace out!**


	4. Epilogue

**Hello once again, my lovelies. Here we are, at the last chapter of my last commission. I gotta say: This is a great fic to leave off on. Thank you again, D. KnightOfShadows, for giving me such a fun, fluffy Arkos story.**

 **Enjoy!**

Athena's first birthday party was a small affair, which was just how Pyrrha wanted it. It was in January, not long after the New Year, which was fitting considering all of the new beginnings taking place.

Ren had proposed to Nora over the holidays, and they were planning on having a wedding during the fall. "The more time we have to prepare, the better," Ren had insisted when Nora wanted to have the wedding in spring.

The relationship between Jaune and Pyrrha only grew stronger over time as Pyrrha navigated the media and her upcoming return to modeling and Jaune continued putting aside money, hoping to reach a point where his sister wouldn't have to support him anymore. His father had gotten a raise at work, and had started sending him a small allowance.

Jaune had a feeling that his parents felt more than a little guilty for needing to move their only son out of the house. He was long past feeling bitter toward them, though. After all, he never would have met Pyrrha if he had stayed at home. He was making do with his regular paychecks, so he put his monthly allowance aside, hoping that he'd eventually be able to start going to the Vale Dance Studio for lessons.

Everything was coming together as perfectly as one of the bows on Athena's presents. Her face was being cleaned by her mother after a very enthusiastic meal of chocolate cake. Once she was presentable, she was given her present from Ren: a collection of translated storybooks telling various Asian folktales, including _The Four Dragons_.

Nora had bought a fluffy baby-blue dragon plushie, which Athena absolutely adored and refused to put down.

Jaune, thinking practically, had gotten Athena some new clothes and shoes. He knew just how quickly babies grew, after all. The last time he had gone home, he found that his youngest sister had nearly doubled in size during his absence.

Athena was very tired after all the attention, and stayed awake long enough to introduce her new "wagon" to her teddy bear. As she started to doze off, Pyrrha scooped her and the two stuffed animals up, taking them to bed.

Nora sighed wistfully. "Ren, can we have one?"

"When we're in a more financially-stable position, we'll talk about it," Ren replied, a slightly nervous tremor in his voice. He certainly wasn't against having one, maybe two children with Nora in the future, but he wasn't ready to have one in the _immediate_ future. How long would she be willing to wait?

Nora noticed her fiancé's hesitant expression and hugged his arm. "I just think Athena's ridiculously adorable. That doesn't mean I'm ready to be a mom yet. No pressure, okay?"

"Thank you." Ren kissed the tip of Nora's nose, an action that never failed to turn her into an adorable, blushing mess. "Besides, I'd like to focus entirely on you for a while," he whispered.

Nora nuzzled his chest, hugging him tightly. "Stop it! You're making me blush!"

Ren smirked. "I know."

"If you guys are done being sickeningly adorable," Jaune cut in with a grin. "Want to watch a movie?"

Nora stuck out her tongue. "You should talk!" she remarked, eying Jaune's hands as they massaged Pyrrha's shoulders.

The two couples sat comfortably through a movie before Ren brought out _DDR_. Pyrrha and Nora were all too happy to ogle their boyfriends as they tackled harder and harder songs and combos.

After Ren and Nora left, Pyrrha changed Athena and brought her back into the living room for dinner, having to deal with a lot of extra squirming. After her nap, the birthday girl only wanted to play.

Jaune helped clean her face once Pyrrha managed to get most of the food into Athena's mouth. He sat down on the floor with her, watching as she attempted to walk a few steps before falling on her hands and trying again.

Pyrrha sat a few feet away, letting Athena make her way toward her. During the early days of Athena's walking attempts, Pyrrha had wanted to pick her daughter up the first time she fell over, but Jaune had urged her to let Athena pick herself up.

"Mom kept helping my older sister, Mary," he had explained. "Because of that, it took her way longer to learn to walk than it should've."

So, Pyrrha had let her daughter practice. Now, Athena could cross the room with only a few falls and stumbles. It wouldn't be long before she could run. That would certainly be interesting!

"Mama!" Athena said as she sat down in her mother's lap, smiling up at her, hazel eyes shining, holding out her dragon plush for Pyrrha to see.

"Hello, again," Pyrrha whispered, kissing her daughter's brow and gently taking the dragon so that she could fly it around Athena's head.

Athena giggled, reaching for the dragon as it landed back in her arms again.

Jaune sat down next to them, grinning when Athena held the dragon out to him next.

"Dada!" she chirped.

Pyrrha and Jaune had long since gotten used to Athena's chosen title for her mother's boyfriend. Neither of them minded much. Privately, Pyrrha already thought of Jaune as Athena's father, but she never said so.

While they definitely loved each other, they still hadn't been together for even a year, and she didn't want to put any pressure on Jaune, even if he obviously seemed to enjoy the fatherly role he had been cast in.

She just leaned against Jaune's side, smiled as he kissed her face and played with her daughter, and enjoyed the moment for what it was.

…

It was below freezing, and Jaune was shivering when he came home, even with the car's heating system on at full blast. It got worse when he entered his apartment and realized that the radiator was busted again. _Why?!_ he wondered. _Just because this is a cheap apartment, the building people think they can be lazy! Jerks…_

He called the superintendent, then went across the hall.

Pyrrha immediately noticed the several layers Jaune was wearing when she answered the door. "The heater again?"

Jaune nodded mournfully.

"Well, you'd better get in here," Pyrrha said, letting her boyfriend into her own perfectly-heated apartment. She watched him shed some of his layers with a smile. Though she disliked the fact that Jaune was paying for a flawed apartment, she couldn't bring herself to hate it whenever he came over because of it.

Jaune, she had found over the course of the winter, was even cuddlier than usual when he was cold.

She went about making hot cocoa and getting his favorite fleece blanket. When she went back to the sofa and sat down, she was almost immediately pulled into a needy embrace. Jaune unabashedly nuzzled his cold cheeks against her shoulder, slipped his chilly hands under her shirt, and curled up close as he tried to drink in as much warmth as possible.

Pyrrha shivered at the drastic difference in temperature, even as she pulled him closer and started peppering warm kisses all over his face.

Jaune grinned, guiding Pyrrha down onto the couch as he lay down, positioning her on top of him. "That's better!"

"It looks like your hands and face are in order," Pyrrha purred, kissing his now-warm lips. "Does anything else feel cold?" Her hands were already "checking" under his shirt.

"You know, now that you mention it…" Jaune's grin turned into what he considered a very sexy smirk.

Pyrrha had to suppress a giggle, as was often the case when Jaune tried to act seductive. He always ended up appearing more adorable than anything. That wasn't a problem, of course. Pyrrha had quickly learned that she had a very potent weakness for adorableness. She kissed slowly down his neck, determined to make sure her poor boyfriend was sufficiently warmed.

They ended up having to reheat the hot chocolate. As they sat together, half-asleep and content, Pyrrha said something she had been thinking about for several weeks. "Jaune, I was wondering something."

"What's up?" Jaune asked, smiling down at her.

"It may seem a bit forward, but what do you think about moving in with me?" Pyrrha asked.

Jaune considered it. Honestly, it sounded wonderful, but he knew he needed to think, at least for a minute, before committing to something like that.

"I practically live here already," he admitted. "And we don't have any trouble sleeping together. I'm used to Athena's schedule by now." It seemed perfect, no matter how he looked at it. "Are you sure you want me around all the time?"

"Why on earth wouldn't I want that?" Pyrrha asked. "Whenever you come home, I hope that you'll come here instead of going to your apartment. It's always a better night when I spend it with you, and we spend your days off together already."

Jaune's heart warmed at Pyrrha's words. "Honestly, I always want to come here after work," he admitted. "You always make me feel better, even if it was a bad day. I was actually worried I was being too clingy coming here so often now that it's winter."

Pyrrha chuckled, hugging him a little tighter. "I'm perfectly fine with clingy. You should know that by now."

Jaune grinned, kissing her cheek. "I guess that settles it, _roomie_."

…..

Valentine's Day was an absolute bust.

Jaune couldn't believe the sheer lack of decency some people had! He had very nearly gotten into a fistfight with a photographer who had recognized Pyrrha and followed them into the restaurant. Then, the appetizers and drinks took forever, despite the fact that they had reservations. Then, a couple nearby broke up very loudly at the next table over. Then, the food wasn't even that good, despite this supposedly being a classy establishment. The waitstaff was totally unresponsive, and calling the manager seemed like a waste of time at that point.

When Jaune asked if they should just pay for the appetizers and leave, Pyrrha agreed immediately.

So, they drove off, all dressed up with nowhere to go. They went back to Pyrrha's apartment, which they now shared. Yang was surprised to see them back so soon. "Athena's sleeping," she said, turning off the TV. "What happened?"

"People," Jaune grumbled as he sat down on the couch. "I hate people."

Yang grimaced sympathetically. "I just got a call from Ren and Nora. I guess they had to deal with idiots too. They said they're just staying in and booing bad romcoms until they fall asleep."

"Huh." Jaune tilted his head. "That actually sounds like a good idea."

"No, thank you," Pyrrha said as she took Yang's pay out of her wallet. "I've seen too many romcoms, and I find them more tedious than funny. What else would you like to do?"

"What about making fun of slasher movies?" Jaune suggested.

"I don't watch many slashers," Pyrrha admitted. "Is there a lot to make fun of?"

"Ooooh, yes!" Yang said with a big grin. "You should start her off on _Texas Chainsaw Massacre_!"

"Then, _Friday the 13_ _th_!"

"Do you have the _Scream_ movies?"

"I mean, yeah, but I should show her some classics before I start her on the satire."

Pyrrha smiled at the two. "Yang, would you like to stay?" She handed her friend enough money to cover the original amount of time they were going to be gone.

Yang noticed this and tried to give some of the money back. "Hey, I was only here for two hours."

"If you stay," Jaune reasoned. "You can be the one to check on Athena until the original time we agreed on. Technically, you'll still be babysitting."

Yang hesitated, then agreed. "I'm always up for some slashers. Just kick me out once you two want to start banging."

"Yang!" Jaune groaned, rolling his eyes.

Later that evening, after three movies and Yang's departure, Jaune and Pyrrha were lying on the couch, speculating their chances of survival in a slasher movie.

"I'm dead for sure," Jaune said with a resigned shrug. "I'd be the comic-relief character, and those always die."

"I wouldn't be the final girl," Pyrrha noted. "Didn't you say they have to be virgins?"

"Eh, it depends. Usually, they're safe if they don't have sex _while_ the horror movie is happening."

"How does one know if the movie is happening?" Pyrrha wondered.

"Well, if a bunch of people turn up dead and the police are suddenly dumb as bricks, that's a pretty good sign." He yawned, combing his fingers through her hair, which she had taken out of its ponytail once they changed into their pajamas. "Sorry tonight didn't go well."

Pyrrha snuggled closer and yawned. "I don't know what you're talking about. I thought it was grand."

Jaune smiled, falling asleep with his girlfriend in his arms and the scent of popcorn in his nose. Not a bad Valentine's Day, after all.

…

It was ironic. Pyrrha got through the entire winter without getting sick, only to be struck down with the worst cold she'd had in a long time at the beginning of spring.

Jaune honestly wasn't surprised. Athena had been battling with a cold for the past week, and was finally getting better. Pyrrha hadn't left her side at all during that time, and was reluctant to do so now.

"She's almost fully recovered," Jaune assured his girlfriend as he tucked her into bed. "I can handle her. You need to focus on getting better."

"I can still take care of her," Pyrrha protested. "I caught her cold, and a person can't catch the same cold twice. That means she won't get sick from me."

"That's not the issue," Jaune said firmly. "I can take care of you, and her. If you don't rest, your cold will go on way longer than it has to. Wouldn't you rather get better as quick as possible, so you can play with Athena without sneezing every ten seconds?"

"I…" Pyrrha sighed. "I know you're right, but…"

"It's hard. I get it." Jaune leaned down to kiss her, only to be pushed away.

"Hold it!" Pyrrha scolded. "I'm not about to make you sick, too."

Jaune grinned. "Okay, okay. Just lie there and let me take care of you. Want your laptop, so you can watch a movie?"

"That would be nice," Pyrrha said. "One of the Ghibli ones, please. It doesn't matter which."

"You got it!" Jaune fetched her laptop and her DVD of _Castle in the Sky_. "Now, don't move. I'll get you some lunch." He paused to make sure the humidifier was at the medium setting, then hurried out.

Athena was walking around the apartment with her blue toy dragon. She stomped over to Jaune. "Mama!" she demanded.

Jaune shook his head. "Sorry, kiddo. Your mom's sick. You gotta put up with Dada for now."

Athena pouted.

"Hey, I'm not so bad, right?" He knelt down. "Want me to put on Big Bird for you?"

Athena's eyes lit up at the mention of her favorite TV character and willingly let Jaune lead her to her special cushion in front of the television, where he put on _Sesame Street_. He made sure she was totally focused on the screen before going to the kitchen.

Ren had made several Tupperware containers' worth of chicken soup, so Jaune was able to get a platter ready relatively quickly. He was pouring orange juice when a clatter caused him to hurry back to the living room.

Athena had gotten distracted, and wandered from the cushion, knocking over one of the plastic chairs of her tiny tea set. She was on the floor, just beginning to cry.

Jaune swept her into his arms easily. "What's wrong, kiddo? Did you get a booboo?"

Athena sniffled. "Buhbuh!" She held up her hand, which was slightly pinkened from her landing on it.

"Whoa, that's a big one," Jaune said gravely. "Let's see what I can do." He sat down on the couch and made a big show of inspecting her hand, making a bunch of comical, overly-exaggerated expressions of concentration as he did so.

His scrunched brows and jutting tongue were just hilarious to Athena, who started giggling.

"Aha! I know the cure!" He blew a raspberry on Athena's hand, which set the baby to screaming with laughter, wriggling in Jaune's arms as she slapped harmlessly at his face.

Jaune laughed with her. "See? All better. Now, stay here with Wagon and Big Bird, so I can take care of your mommy."

Athena was still giggling as Jaune set her back on her cushion with her dragon and hurried back to the kitchen to finish Pyrrha's lunch. When he went into the bedroom, she was sitting up, eying the door.

"What's got Athena laughing so hard?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Just my goofy face," Jaune replied brightly.

Pyrrha chuckled, scooting back so that Jaune could place the tray in front of her. "Thank you, Jaune," she said, smiling up at him.

"Hey, no problem," Jaune said, trying once more to kiss her, and being pushed away yet again.

"I am not getting you sick!" Pyrrha said, shaking a finger at her boyfriend. "If you get to lecture me about being careful, I get to do the same."

"Fine," Jaune sighed loudly. "I'll just be deprived until you get better."

"I suppose I'll just have to make it up to you once my cold goes away, won't I?" Pyrrha asked, her eyes glinting mischievously.

Jaune grinned. "Well, when you put it that way, I guess I can handle it."

Just the same, after putting Athena to bed that night, before going to sleep on the couch, Jaune couldn't resist giving his sleeping girlfriend a quick peck on the forehead as he tucked her in.

….

Jaune woke up early on a day off for the first time in ages. He couldn't help it. He was just too excited to sleep! That afternoon, he would finally be attending his first lesson at the Vale Dance Studio.

He put the coffee on and started breakfast before checking on Athena, who was still fast asleep. When he went back into the bedroom, Pyrrha was just waking up.

"Good morning," he said, kissing her cheek as she sat up.

Pyrrha yawned, smiling sleepily at him. "Good morning. You're up early. You know your lesson isn't until the afternoon."

"I know, but I'm really excited!" Jaune's grin practically lit up the room. "This is the first step! The Studio gives out scholarships for their best dancers, so I could actually go to college if I do well enough."

"I have no doubt that you'll be the best student there," Pyrrha said honestly. After months of experiencing Jaune's passion for dancing and witnessing his skill firsthand, she was convinced that he could go all the way. She even had a few agents in mind for when he reached that crucial first step.

"Thanks, Pyrrha!" Jaune kissed her again. "Breakfast will be ready when you are!" He practically skipped out of the room.

Pyrrha got ready for the day, picked up a newly-awake Athena, and went back into the bedroom to take out a wrapped present she had hidden in her drawer. She went into the kitchen and was greeted with the smell of bacon and hashbrowns. They rarely made eggs in the morning, as one of them had to feed Athena first, leading to their share of the eggs being rubbery and cold by the time they sat down. Bacon and hashbrowns could be kept warm for a longer period of time.

After feeding and washing Athena, Pyrrha sat down at the table and nudged the package toward Jaune. "Something for your first day."

Jaune pushed his plate aside and ripped opened the package. His eyes lit up when he saw what was inside: a pair of brand-new dancing shoes. He immediately recognized the brand as one of the best, and hurried to try them on. They fit perfectly!

"Pyrrha, thank you!" Jaune gasped. "These are amazing!" He circled the table and kissed her deeply, not caring that both of their mouths tasted like bacon.

"Not as amazing as you," Pyrrha replied. "I hope you won't be too tired to show me what you learned when you get home."

"Is milady asking for a dance?" Jaune asked, waggling his eyebrows. "Because, I'm sure I can oblige."

"Why, thank you, my good sir," Pyrrha replied with a wink. "I'd be absolutely delighted, I'm sure."

That evening, Jaune returned in high spirits. The first lesson had consisted mostly of figuring out what level to start in, but the instructor had said that Jaune could start with the semi-advanced lessons the following week.

Feeling very proud of himself, Jaune was quick to turn on his boombox and sweep Pyrrha into an impromptu waltz. Pyrrha didn't dance much, but she was able to catch onto the steps relatively quickly, and was all too happy to let Jaune take the lead.

Athena stopped her playing to watch, clapping her hands excitedly. She burst into a fit of giggles when Jaune picked her up and started dancing around the apartment with her in his arms.

Pyrrha watched the two, her heart feeling fuller than it ever had. Considering how full it usually was, that was definitely saying something.

…

Ren and Nora's wedding was everything one could expect from such an event, which meant, of course, that no one could possibly have expected any of it, except for a select few who had known the two for years.

The theme was a combination of their passions: lotus flowers and lightning, zen gardens and Viking ships, slow dances and disco balls. Elements that would have clashed anywhere else came together perfectly here.

Jaune officiated the ceremony and, as per Nora's request, began the wedding with a statement of: "Mawwiage. Mawwiage is what bwings us togethah today." He went through the whole sermon with a totally straight face, and everyone was laughing by the time Ren and Nora were called to say their vows.

Ren took a breath, glancing at the people gathered, then at Nora. "I've never been good with words," he started. "But, with you, I never had to be. You always know what I'm thinking, what I'm feeling, sometimes before even I do. They say that, when you marry someone, you give them half of your heart while they give you theirs, entrusting each other with the deepest part of you."

He took Nora's hand. "That's not true today, because you already have my heart. You always have."

Jaune sniffed quietly, wiping his eyes on his sleeve. He had been waiting for this moment since high school, since _middle_ school! Ren and Nora had always been so perfect for each other. Hearing the often-silent Ren pour out his heart was making Jaune particularly emotional.

That was nothing compared to Nora's reaction, however. Tears filled her eyes, spilling down her cheeks as she leaped forward to hug Ren. "I…I just forgot mine…" She hiccupped quietly. "Ren, you're… I…" For once in her life, Nora was at a loss for words. The sheer emotion of what Ren had just said had managed to wipe her mind clean.

Finally, unable to vocalize anything else, she stood on her toes and gently tapped his nose. "Boop!"

Ren's eyes welled up as he pulled Nora into a deep kiss. That was all he needed to hear.

They both recovered by the time the reception started. There was no best man's toast, because Ren didn't think a monologue was necessary. Jaune had no objection to not having to tell embarrassing stories about his friends in front of a ton of people. He was happy enough to get right to the dancing.

The first song Ren and Nora danced to was "Never Gonna Give You Up," because Nora just couldn't resist Rickrolling all of the guests. Once everyone started hitting the dance floor, Jaune and Pyrrha eagerly joined in. They ended up near Yang and Weiss, the latter of whom had become particularly close with Pyrrha after Jaune had introduced them.

"The clashing colors wouldn't be to my taste if it was my wedding," Weiss was saying. "But, it's perfect for those two," she conceded.

"Is that a hint that you two might be tying the noose soon?" Jaune asked, winking cheekily.

Weiss huffed. "That's a vulgar way of putting it, isn't it?"

Pyrrha bit back a laugh. "Truly vulgar."

"I didn't hear a no," Jaune pointed out.

Yang was grinning. "Neither did I!"

Weiss's face turned red. "I thought we were here to celebrate Ren and Nora! If you'll excuse me, I still need to compliment Nora's dress." She walked off quickly.

Yang snickered. "Teasing her never gets old." She glanced at Jaune and Pyrrha. "Between you, me, and that giant pink cake, I'm thinking of popping the question soon."

"Oh, that's wonderful!" Pyrrha gushed. "Good luck!"

"Thanks!" Yang said. "For the theme, I'm thinking Fire and Ice. What do you think?"

"I like it!" Jaune said. "They clash, but they also compliment each other. I'm sure Weiss can come up with some _fabulous_ color schemes."

The three laughed, but quickly resumed innocent expressions when Weiss returned.

As the night went on, Jaune found himself thinking: What would his wedding be like?

His cheeks flushed as he thought about it. He wasn't sure about themes, colors, or music, but he did know one thing: Whenever he fantasized about that special day, there was only one person he could see standing beside him.

He drew Pyrrha close for a slow dance, feeling how perfectly her body fit against his. The simple fact that, after this, he'd be going home with her to Athena, sleeping by her side, and waking up to another day with her, made him happier than his high school self had ever thought possible.

 _Soon,_ he decided. _I'm going to ask her soon._

…..

Pyrrha had decided to go for the casual approach when celebrating her one-year anniversary with Jaune. Though she was starting to communicate with her agent in earnest, she had made sure to get all plans for the month squared away the day before, insisting that no one call her the following day.

She would be dropping Athena off at Ren and Nora's house in the evening after dinner. According to Nora, it was high time for the kid to be introduced to _It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown_.

This would allow them to spend an uninterrupted evening together, doing whatever they felt like.

When Jaune got home from work, he found Pyrrha and Athena waiting for him. Pyrrha had prepared a special dinner, and managed to keep her daughter from getting most of it on her face.

After dinner, Pyrrha went for her coat so they could drop Athena off, only to be stopped by Jaune.

"Can I ask you something?"

Pyrrha tilted her head. "Of course." She noticed for the first time how nervous Jaune looked. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, definitely!" Jaune assured her. "I just, well…" He rubbed the back of his neck. "I wanted to ask you something, and it's something I should ask while Athena's here, since she's involved."

He walked Pyrrha back to Athena's high chair. The baby was blinking curiously at her "Dada," strangely quiet for once. It was as if she sensed something big was about to happen.

She wasn't wrong.

Jaune got down on one knee. "I don't have a ring, because I thought it would be better to pick something out together," he started. "I didn't do a big, public thing, because I knew you'd hate that. I thought forever about what I would say, but I realized that I couldn't say anything I haven't already told you. I love you, Pyrrha, and I love you, Athena."

He glanced at both of them in turn. "You've made me happier than I've ever been. I already think of myself as your partner and your dad, but I want it to be official."

He took a deep breath. "Pyrrha, will you marry me? Athena, will you take me as your stepdad?"

Athena, who had started sucking on the wing of her dragon, held it out to Jaune with a smile. "Dada!"

Tears sprang to Pyrrha's eyes as she knelt down and pulled Jaune into a kiss that left both of them gasping for breath.

Panting, Jaune took the dragon plush and touched its snout to Athena's cheek, making her giggle. His eyes remained fixed on Pyrrha. "I guess that's a yes from both of you?"

Pyrrha laughed. "I think you can safely assume that."

In the end, Pyrrha called Ren and Nora to cancel the babysitting appointment, so that she, Jaune, and Athena could spend the evening together. If one looked at it technically, it was an anniversary for all three of them.

They watched Disney cartoons, which Athena adored. They took turns rocking her to sleep. Even as she slept, Jaune held her in his lap for a good while before conceding to put her in her crib.

He lay down on the couch, anticipating Pyrrha's return so that they could cuddle for the rest of the night. The pillows held Pyrrha's scent, a spicy, sweet, gentle smell that Jaune had learned to associate with comfort, home, and everything he had always wanted out of life.

In that moment, he saw a clear vision of their future together. He could see himself becoming a professional dancer, touring the country with Pyrrha and Athena. Pyrrha would do photoshoots and modeling sessions for whatever magazines she wanted. Athena would grow up in a loving environment, no matter where that ended up being, and would always be encouraged to follow her own path.

It was exciting to think of what kind of woman that cute little baby would become. Jaune felt honored that he was going to be there to guide her.

Pyrrha carried her daughter to bed, smiling down at that sweet little face, marveling at all that had happened since she had brought this wonderful life into the world. For so long, she had been in a dark place, talked down to by her parents, without even a single friend to turn to. She had truly been on the verge of believing that she was nothing more than a failure.

Then, Athena had forced her to change, forced her to realize what she needed to do for both of them. She had broken away from her toxic parents, utterly and completely, and would never let herself be drowned in their bile again. She had met the love of her life, a man who looked at her and saw a person rather than a model, an individual to love rather than a figure to gawk at.

Most importantly, she had learned that she could make a life for herself, one that was truly worth living. She could keep moving forward. She wasn't alone anymore, and she never would be again.

She placed Athena down, tucking her in with her teddy bear and dragon. "Thank you, Athena," she whispered. "Thank you for everything."

Athena gripped her mother's hand in a tiny fist, and yawned. "Mama," she murmured before quickly falling asleep.

 **I have had a great time writing for the** _ **RWBY**_ **fandom over the years. That's largely due to you, my wonderful readers. Your encouragement has kept me going through the dry backlogs and writer's blocks. In the case of my commissions and P/atreon, I was shown that people love my writing enough to pay for it. A future where I can support myself by being a writer seems like a true possibility.**

 **Stay tuned for when I come back to finish "Wings of Dust," because I won't leave you guys hanging on that one. Also, keep your eyes open for my original works, which will be released under the name Tori Sol. I can promise that what you'll experience then will be leagues better than even my finest fic.**

 **Thanks again, everyone, and peace out!**


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